


and I owe it all to you

by PoliteAnarchist



Series: Supernova [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, M/M, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:43:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 49,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21540820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoliteAnarchist/pseuds/PoliteAnarchist
Summary: Peter Parker and Harley Keener live parallel lives miles and miles apart. When they finally come together, it's like a supernova.Or,This is my first fic and it's really long and I don't know how to write summaries.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Supernova [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694455
Comments: 150
Kudos: 584





	1. Peter

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm a newbie here. I've read a lot of fics and always tried writing stuff but this is my first real attempt at a story. I'm trying to slightly rewrite the MCU to have Peter and Harley interact and get together. 
> 
> I don't own anything from the MCU except my ideas about a Parkner relationship.
> 
> I also have no beta so all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Please let me know what you think but no flames.
> 
> I'm not a fragile creature but I do want to get better so constructive criticism is appreciated.
> 
> This is a multi-chapter fic and if I'm honest, I'm gonna be shit at posting but I'll try my hardest to be consistent.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter's so bright that he shines like the sun but it seems like life wants to take that light and push it so far underground so nobody can see it.

When Peter is 4 years old, he learns about death. To him, death is the phone ringing right before he’s about to go to bed. It’s his Aunt May’s grief-stricken face when the person on the other end of the line tells her the terrible news. It’s Uncle Ben’s strong voice when he talks about his brother and his sister-in-law in the church. It’s the itchy suit and soggy shoes he wears as he watches two chestnut caskets sink lower into the ground. And it’s the overwhelming wave of sadness he feels two days later when he finally realizes that his parents were never coming back. His aunt and uncle tried their best to console him, but how do you comfort a 4-year-old who’s too smart for his own good and just wants his mama?

There are tears and sobs as he works through it all. Aunt May just holds him close and runs her soft fingers through his hair, hoping she can take some of his pain away. Sometimes there are dreams were he’s walking between his parents, his hands reaching to grasp theirs, and they’re just so happy. Then he wakes up and it breaks him all over again. The pain soon fades but what’s left is the emptiness. Uncle Ben tries to make the hollow smile on his nephew’s face regain some of the mirth from before, but nothing works. Peter just floats through the days, not talking much and so unlike what the average kid should act like but one afternoon, he’s sitting in front of the TV watching a Tony Stark press conference. Peter’s still a huge fan but not even the cool inventions of Stark Industries could really cheer him up. Then Mr. Stark uttered 4 words that changed everything. 

_I am Iron Man_

Peter leaps from his seat and crawls closer to the TV. Aunt May jumps from her seat a little at the sudden movement but composes herself fast enough to catch the spark of life in her nephew’s eyes. “Peter?” she calls, and she sees a smile grow on his face. “He’s a real-life superhero.” Says Peter. The awe and adoration in his voice is clear. “He got lost and came back a superhero.” Aunt May smiles. “Can I be a superhero too?” He turns to look at Aunt May who smiles and realizes that Peter is going to be okay.

Over the next few years, Peter comes back into his normal bubbly self. He’s hyper, excited, and obsessed with Iron Man. Everything in his room is Iron Man themed. He’s got sheets, pajamas, posters, action figures but his favorites are the books. These books are about Tony Stark, the man, the myth and the legend and Peter can’t get enough. As a 6-year-old, he’s incredibly smart, absorbing as much information about his hero as possible so for his 7th birthday, Uncle Ben and Aunt May surprise him by taking him to the Stark Expo. On the way there, he’s practically vibrating with excitement, talking non-stop about what he hopes will be there. The other people on the bus smile at him with his Iron Man mask and light-up gauntlets. 

The Stark Expo is everything he’s ever imagined and more. The three of them are near the back of the crowd but Peter doesn’t care. The huge screens on either side of the stage provide a close-up view of what’s happening, and Uncle Ben let him sit on his shoulders to see better. Justin Hammer was talking about his iron fleet when suddenly, Iron Man appears behind him. “Uncle Ben! That’s him! That’s Iron Man!” Peter yells, squirming with enthusiasm. Uncle Ben starts to scold him for moving too much when the screams start. Hammer’s robotic fleet was attacking, and people were running. Uncle Ben put Peter on the ground and pulls him towards the exit. Peter tries to keep up but he trips, losing the grip on his uncle’s hand and landing on the ground. Tears are forming in his eyes as he struggles to get up but he catches a glimpse of Iron Man flying in the sky and refuses to let them fall. I can be brave like Iron Man. He thinks. He starts to run towards where he thinks his aunt and uncle were heading when he hears something behind him. A robot flies down and stares at him. Peter can feel the tears coming back and the fear taking root in his gut, so he takes a deep breath and raises his hand, aiming the gauntlet at the robot. He can hear the whine of a laser but before it fires, the robot explodes. Startled, Peter jumps and turns around coming face to face with his hero. “Good job kid.” Iron Man says and then he’s gone. Peter stands there, staring up at the sky where Iron Man went until a kind policeman finds him and reunites him with Aunt May and Uncle Ben. There are tears in Aunt May’s eyes and Uncle Ben hugs him tightly, relieved. “Iron Man saved me.” He says dazedly. That’s all he can say the whole way home and he goes to bed dreaming of his hero.

When goes to school on Monday, he tells his best (scratch that: only) friend Harry how he met Iron Man and how he was saved by him. Harry is so excited for him and they spent the rest of the day drawing pictures of Iron Man and the inventions they want to make when they get older. They get interrupted by some mean kids from the 3rd grade. “What are you babies doing?” asks the biggest kid. He rips the papers from them and laughs. “Is that you?” he points to Peter’s drawing of what happened at the Expo. “Y-Yeah.” He stammers. “Iron Man saved me.” The bullies laugh, Harry and Peter are trying to sink lower in their chairs and hoping they’ll just go away. “You’re funny, Parker. You think people are gonna believe you?” Peter’s heart sank. Harry looked up at them. “I do.” He says. The bully just stares down at him. “Well you’re a dumb little kid. What do you know?” And with that he rips up the drawing, letting the pieces fall to the floor. Peter’s eyes well up. “Oh look. Baby’s gonna cry.” The older boys laugh as Harry and Peter pick up their drawings and run away. They run to their favorite hiding spot under the stairs, but they can still hear the laughter down the hallway.

Middle school doesn’t start as well as Peter hopes. Harry’s dad sent him away to some fancy boarding school across the country after his mother died, so his only friend is gone. He must face the world alone. The bullies from elementary school continue to torment him and it’s easier for them now that he’s by himself. He spends all of 6th grade with his head buried in his books, and wishing he had the power to turn invisible so he can avoid the bruises that form when those bullies jump him on the way home.

In the summer, he spends a lot of time in the library, trying to learn about anything and everything but it’s also a place where the bullies won’t bother him. He loves learning and he’s especially gifted at physics, chemistry and biology. He’s holding a stack of books so high that he doesn’t see the other person in the aisle and collides right into them. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.” He scrambles to gather his books when the stranger speaks. “Whoa. No worries, kid.” His voice is smooth and deep and when Peter looks up, he sees green eyes and a handsome face. The stranger examines the books strewn about around them. “Wow. That’s a lot of books. Need a hand?” Peter nods and then stranger helps him carry his books to his favorite table. “The name’s Skip by the way.”

Skip Westcott is 18 and when he smiles, he makes Peter feel all warm inside. He calls him ‘Einstein’ and treats him like an equal. Aunt May and Uncle Ben think Skip is just a wonderful young man, mentoring Peter and making sure nobody bothers him. Peter is just ecstatic that he’s made a special friend. He stays with him when both his aunt and uncle are working late and takes him on little trips to cool places around the city. When school starts, Skip picks him up and drops him home. To May and Ben, Skip is a godsend. It’s the same for Peter. At first.

At first, Peter didn’t even register what was happening. They were lounging on Skip’s couch without their shirts on. Skip suggested it since it was still relatively hot for a September day. Peter didn’t think anything of Skip’s hand on his thigh. Skip was always hugging him and patting his back. This was no different. “Hey, Einstein.” Peter, blushing slightly at the nickname turned to look at him. “You’re pretty for a baby.” Peter frowns. “I’m not a baby.” Skip just smiles. “Oh yeah?” “Yeah I’m almost a teenager!” The hand on his thigh moves higher. “And you’re my favorite almost teenager. How about I show you why you’re my favorite.” 

Peter thinks back to that day in the beginning of the school year. It’s April and he’s curled up on the floor of the tub, letting the too hot water burn his skin as he presses his cheek to the cool ceramic. His skin is raw from scrubbing too hard and his eyes are red rimmed and puffy. _If I stay in the shower, the tears aren’t real._ He thinks. There’s a soft knock at the door. “Peter, honey, Uncle Ben is working late and I’ve got the night shift.” May says. “Dinner’s in the oven okay?” He grunts in reply and May leaves, already running late for work. He finally picks himself up and turns off the shower. He feels wrung out and leans over the sink. _Dirty. Used. Broken._ It’s all he sees when he looks at himself in the mirror. He tears his gaze away from his reflection and gets ready for bed. He crawls under his covers and cries himself to sleep, hoping Skip’s phantom touch won’t haunt him in his dreams.

Ned Leeds transfers into Peter’s 8th grade class and they hit it off. They’ve got the same energy and interests and Aunt May and Uncle Ben are just so happy that Peter’s found a friend. It’s Ned that keeps Peter away from Skip and ultimately it is Ned who finally gets him to confess to May about the older boy. He broke down one day after Skip dropped him off at Ned’s house and when he calmed down enough to explain what had been happening, Ned called Aunt May immediately. Ned stays with Peter when May takes them back to the apartment and when Ben calls the police. Ned’s the one who hugs Peter as two officers arrest Skip and drive away. May and Ben cry over their nephew, apologizing and letting him know how much he is loved. Peter cries with them, trying to bury himself in their arms. 

When he goes back to school, Ned is there to keep the mood light. He’s happy that nobody knows what happened to him. Together they gush over Star Wars and science and most of all, Iron Man. They read news articles and blogposts about the Mandarin and were so happy when Tony resurfaced from all of that. Peter and Ned spend days obsessing over the genius and over time, Peter feels like he can be himself again.

Midtown is probably the high school of Peter’s dreams. Accelerated classes, tons of electives and his best friend Ned. What’s not to love? His freshman year goes by relatively uneventful but when they take a trip to an Oscorp Laboratory in the spring, Peter can tell something is going to go wrong. And that has nothing to do with his new “sixth sense” from that radioactive spider. 

It takes him a week to find something to do with these new powers. He figures it out when he and Ben are walking home from the store down the street. There’s a commotion in an alley and Peter wants to help so he moves towards the thugs, who are brandishing guns at a couple of helpless passers-by. Peter gets their attention and attempts to diffuse the situation. Ben, fearing for his nephew’s life, steps into the fray, trying to drag Peter to safety. Peter turns as Ben’s hand reaches his shoulder and he watches as two bullets pierce his Uncle’s chest. His eyes grow wide and the ringing in his ears drowns out the sound of the thugs running away. He cradles Ben’s body as the older man collapses and Peter can feel his eyes burning. His vision is becoming blurry and there’s blood everywhere. “Somebody help us!” he yells. He’s shaking and crying and trying to keep Ben awake. He can hear sirens in the distance. “Hang on, Uncle Ben. Help is on the way.” He says. “You just have to stay awake okay?” Peter keeps cycling through reassurances as he watches the blood seep out onto the asphalt. He feels Uncle Ben’s pulse slow and the grip on his hand loosen. By the time the ambulance gets to them, Peter’s clutching Ben to his chest and sobbing into his shoulder.

Peter sits on the roof of his apartment building wearing his homemade suit, his arms wrapped around his knees. He starts to sob and reflect on what he had almost done. Flashes of the thug’s face appear in his mind and he can still feel the blood on his hands from beating that man’s face. The man’s frantic pleas echoed in his head and he covers his ears to try and drown out the noises all around him. He had almost killed a man. He almost stooped that low. His breath comes in shuddering gasps as it starts to rain. Peter looks up to the sky and relishes in the feeling of the drops on his face. I can be better. He thinks. I’ll be better for him. For Uncle Ben. And with that Peter slips his mask back on and stands, his resolve strengthening. Then he’s swinging into the night. 

Peter groaned as he tries to sit up. “You’re done.” Tony says through the suit. “But-“ “No, no, no. Stay down, kid.” There’s a sad tone in Tony’s voice and his gaze is unfocused. Peter is exhausted but he looks at Tony. “I’m sorry Mr. Stark. They got away.” Tony sighs. “Not your fault, Parker. Now let’s get you home before your Aunt May calls.” Then he’s whisked away on Tony’s jet. Rhodey is still unconscious but FRIDAY’s scans say that he’ll be okay. When they touch down in New York, Happy is there to drive him home. “Bye, Mr. Stark.” He says with a smile. “Thanks for everything and I hope Mr. Rhodes gets better soon.” And Tony looks up with a half-smile. “No problem, kid and… I hope so too.”

May is less than pleased with his fight excuse but what can she do. “You have to be more careful sweetie.” She chides. “I know, May, but I couldn’t just stand by. I had to help.” She smiles and runs her hands through his hair. “And that’s why you’re so good. Ben would be so proud of you.” Peter gives her a watery smile. “I hope so.”


	2. Harley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley's life is an elevator that seems to go down more often than it goes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! (yay!) I was gonna make this a weekly chapter update but since there's a holiday coming up, I will probably mess up that schedule... so today it is!
> 
> I'm still figuring out tags and things so bear with me and my tags.
> 
> Also sorry for that crap summary.... I had a weird morning.
> 
> Again I don't own anything in the MCU!

The first time Harley Keener knew he wanted to get out of Rose Hill, Tennessee, he was 6 years old. He remembers what he had for dinner that night and the clap on his back from his dad who said he was going to "win the lottery" after finishing his six-pack of beer. He remembers sitting on the ratty living room couch in his pajamas waiting for his dad to make good on his promise and he remembers waking up to his mom crying into her coffee. From that point on, Harley knew that Rose Hill, Tennessee was not where he wanted to be. He wanted to be in a place where there wasn't sadness in every room. Where his mother didn't drown the world away with alcohol. Where his sister didn't have to beg her own mother to get out of bed and get to work. Harley grew up so fast that day. He grew up and became the person his mother should be, the person his father left behind, and the person his sister could count on. Because if Harley didn't, he knew he would stay in Rose Hill forever.

He is 8 when he figures out his passion, completely by accident. He has always been a small kid, scrawnier now because his mother only has so much money left over after restocking their alcohol cabinet. It comes as no surprise that he is a target for some older guys with nothing better to do in this small town. He is running away from a few kids who like to steal his backpack and the meager amount of money he has to get some dinner for Abbie when he stumbles into an Auto Body shop. He's hiding behind a tower of tires watching as the bullies run past the shop when a hand on his shoulder causes him to jump. "Whoa there, son. It's just me." Harley recognizes John, the local mechanic. "Those boys got no business messin' with a kid." he says but Harley is still scared. John sighs, thinking of a different tactic. "Have you ever seen the inside of a car?"

And that's how it starts. Harley knew he was smart, but he never found such joy in anything else he's ever learned. He picked up the mechanics so fast and after two years, Harley's working on cars by himself. John tells off any one who scoffs at a kid working on their car. "He can do a better job than you!" he yells at one customer. John, having no kids of his own, becomes a father-figure for him and for his 10th birthday gets him a junker car. "This is your baby now. Make her good." he says, and Harley hugs him and calls Abbie to the garage to show it off to her. Soon the garage transforms into his very own workshop and John is helping him make some money around town. Harley, counting the money he's made that day and stuffing it into his cash box in the trunk of his car, finally feels like he's made a small step to his goal. He knows leaving Rose Hill is still far away but now it doesn't seem like a completely impossible task. For once Harley Keener has hope.

When Harley heard someone break into his garage, he didn’t expect to be aiming his deceptively powerful potato gun at Tony freaking Stark. Of course, he would never let the man himself know that he was a huge fan, so he settles for tagging along and offering sarcastic quips. Watching the man work on the suit is a treat and it takes all of Harley’s willpower to not gush over the Iron Man suit that he desperately wants to get his hands on. The Mechanic, as Tony dubs himself, looks up one night and catches Harley watching him. “Hey, kid, I need small hands for this part.” Keeping his face in check he enters and says, “Getting fat fingers, old man?” “You know, we may be connected but that doesn’t mean you get to take cheap shots at me.” And from then, Tony teaches Harley the mechanics of the suit. Harley’s soaking up as much info as possible and beams when Tony smirks at him. “You’re good, kid.” “Better than you, grandpa.” Harley says as he continues to solder. Tony just huffs in amusement and ruffles Harley’s hair. 

Then he’s gone and Harley doesn’t really know what to do. Sure, he’s got his car that’s almost functional in the garage, but he’s only 12 and no one is going to let a kid drive his way out of town and nothing compares to working with Tony Stark. He kicks some dirt out of the way and heads to his workshop. When he opens his workshop, he’s greeted to a whole new space filled with state-of-the-art equipment and a card from “The Mechanic.” Harley’s smile grows wide and he quickly calls Abbie to show her his new toys. He’ll make it out of Rose Hill in no time.

He should have known that asking Paul to the midsummer dance was a set up. There was nagging feeling in the back of his mind saying that it was a trap but he just so happy that there was someone like him and he could finally be himself. Something that was extremely difficult to do in a small Southern town where everybody knew everything. Now he’s paying for it with a split lip and bruises all over. So much for the suit he bought with the money he saved up from taking over John’s Auto Body shop after the man died. The walk home from where he was supposed to meet his date wasn’t too long but walking with a sprained ankle made it seem that way. He could feel the tears forming and when he finally made it to his workshop he collapsed against the door. Heaving sobs wracked his frame and he covered his mouth to try to stop himself from screaming. “Harles?” a small voice called out. He looked up and saw Abbie appearing from one of the corners in the shed. “What are you doing here?” he asked, voice cracking on almost every word. “I come in here to get some peace and quiet. Mom and her new boyfriend are always so loud.” She sits next to him offering him a handkerchief. “What happened to you?” 

“Rose Hill did.” He sighs and Abbie looks confused. “Rose Hill did with their too small town and too small ways.” He angrily said. “It happened with stupid Paul and the stupid fucking football team and all the stupid fucking people in this goddamn town.” He’s wringing the cloth in his hands and he can hear Abbie sniffle next to him. “I’m sorry, Harles.” She says and Harley wraps an arm around her, tucking her small frame to his side and trying to hide a wince. “Not your fault, Abs.” He places a kiss on her head. “Those guys are assholes and we’ll be out of here as soon as possible. I promise.” 

Later he’s nursing his injuries and thanking whoever was out there that he didn’t need serious medical attention, when his phone rings. He checks the caller ID and smirks. “Hey, Mechanic.” He greets. “Been a while.” Tony had kept in contact with him over the years and the video calls had been something that could always keep Harley’s spirits up. “Hey there, potato boy.” Tony answers. “Whoa, you okay?” Harley finally gets a glimpse of his face in the video and sucks in a breath. His eye is starting to swell and there’s a couple of cuts on his face. He sighs. “Who did that to you?” Tony asks, his voice carries a tinge of anger under the concern. “Nobody important.” He says, looking away from the camera. Tony isn’t fooled. “Do you need help? I could get you out of there.” Harley looks up. “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.” He runs his hand through his hair, resisting the urge to wince. “I’ll be okay. Now tell me what’s going on in your life.” Tony is unconvinced but he lets it slide for the moment. He starts to talk about new SI products and pulls up schematics of prosthetics and braces. Harley’s listening intently and making comments and suggestions that Tony seriously considers. “Why the sudden jump into prosthetics? I mean I know you’ve expanded SI to include tons of different fields of science but why specifically this one?” Tony’s face falls slightly, and he sighs. “How much do you know about the Sokovia Accords?” Harley contemplates for a moment. “I know that they’re pretty restricting as of now but with a little work they could be a really good thing for the Avengers and any other heroes. But other than that, nothing really.” He admits and then Tony tells him about the Civil War. 

Harley hurts. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally hurts for Tony. Having to fight against people you thought would always have your back. Getting double-crossed by one of his closest friends. Watching your best friend fall from hundreds of feet in the air. Learning the truth behind your parents’ murders and finding out that one of your so-called best friend knew about it. To add to all this, that same friend left you for dead in the middle of a Siberian blizzard. “Jesus fucking Christ, Tony.” Harley said. “I can’t believe those fuckers! How could they do that to you? How are you doing?” Tony just waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve come to terms with the fact that Cap has a one-track mind when it comes to his boyfriend. And I’ve forgiven Barnes for my parents.” Tony starts to fidget with some tool in front of him. “Yes, he killed them, but he was brainwashed. Nothing the BARF technology can’t fix.” “Still-“ Harley starts. “What the fuck is wrong with them?” “It’s over and done with Harles.” Tony says then brightens up as he starts talking about something else. “By the way, have I told you about my new intern?” Harley raises an eyebrow. “You have an intern?” “Yeah! And he’s about your age too.” Tony rambles for hours and the weight in Harley’s chest lifts. Things will be better soon. He can feel it.

When September comes around, Harley can feel the stares. “That’s the Keener kid.” “He’s gay right?” “What a fucking fag?” It takes everything in his power to not turn around and go home. It’s a small town so everyone knows what happened. “I kinda feel bad for him.” “I don’t. Why would he choose to be gay?” Even the teachers are giving him a hard time. So Harley just takes deep breaths and prays that the day goes by faster. 

When he gets home, Abbie is sitting at the kitchen table looking at a note with tears in her eyes. “Abs? What’s wrong?” Harley runs to her and she hands him the note. _I can’t believe I’ve got a faggot for a son. I can’t take the shame anymore. Now I know why your daddy left._ Harley’s heart is in his throat. He doesn’t hear Abbie calling for him as he backs into a wall and slides to the floor. He barely feels her tucking herself to his side as she cries into his shoulder. “What are we gonna do, Harley?” She asks wetly. He’s numb for a long while but he sits and holds her close. “I have to make a call.” 

He gets up and goes to his garage to set up a video chat on his computer. “Keener! What a lovely surprise.” Tony says but his happy face turns into one of concern immediately. Harley is pacing back and forth in the frame. “She’s fucking gone.” He says. “She just fucking left me and Abs alone all because of me.” “Whoa, whoa. Hold on a second. Who left?” “My fucking bitch of a mother.” Harley turns to the screen, eyes red-rimmed but the tears haven’t fallen yet. “I came home and Abs is crying over a stupid fucking note that she left and now what are we supposed to fucking do?” He throws his hands up in exasperation. “All this because she can’t fucking handle having a faggot for a son.” He winces and the fury dies down and turns into deep self-hatred. “It’s my fault.” The tears start to fall. “It’s my fault that we don’t have a dad. It’s my fault that my mom started drinking. My fault that Abbie doesn’t have a mom anymore.” He’s sobbing now and he’s sitting on the floor, like he was in his kitchen. “Harley?” Tony calls. He almost forgot that the genius was on the line. “Harley, you don’t have to worry alright? I’ll take care of everything.” Harley looks up at the screen and meets Tony’s gaze. “I’m sending my driver Happy in the jet to come pick you and Abbie up okay?” Harley nods. “I’m sorry I can’t come but I’ll be waiting for you when you get here. Pack some clothes and Happy will be there in a couple of hours.” With a few more reassurances, Harley hangs up and walks back inside the house to tell Abbie. They silently pack clothes and necessities but, when they finished, Harley sits on the ratty couch to look at a family photo from when he was 5. Abbie was still a baby and he was smiling brightly into the camera. His mother and father looked so happy. Abbie sat next to him and held his hand. They sat there in silence until the heard a knock at the door. Together, they left their childhood home and went off to start a new chapter in their lives.

Tony met them at the airport and hugged them both. “You’re staying with me alright? Pepper’s got the paperwork all figured out and everything will be alright.” Abbie clung to the man the whole way home and Harley settled for laying his head on Tony’s shoulder. Despite the situation, Harley can’t help but gawk at the tower. Pepper takes Abbie inside and Tony leads Harley around for a quick tour of the place. “This is your space.” He gestures. “Abbie’s is farther down. If you need anything, ask FRIDAY.” A voice from the ceiling chimes in. “I’d be happy to help Mr. Keener.” Harley smiles at the ceiling. “Thanks, Tony. You really didn’t have to do this. We would have managed.” “Well you shouldn’t have to manage.” Tony patted his back. “And I wanted to make sure no other companies snatched you up.” Harley huffed a small laugh. “Alright, how about you get yourself settled and meet me in my lab. FRIDAY will tell you how to get there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please <3
> 
> -PA


	3. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's amazing how much one person can impact your life, even if you've just met them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's another chapter! (I kind of hate chapter titles but what I hate more is not having them so here's a kinda crap one...) (also summaries... hate them but I need them.)
> 
> First of all, THANKS TO ALL YOU WHO READ IT! It warms my little heart to know that there are people out there at least looking at what I've created. 
> 
> Maybe I'll make the chapter updates a Monday thing... I'm working around my schedule and seeing when I have the most time to dedicate to edits/updates for this. 
> 
> I'm also still in the process of actually writing it and I just added an extra bit in between a few draft chapters so this whole story is in flux.
> 
> Again I don't own MCU things.

_Hello!? I need help. I'm stuck down here! I can't move!_

Peter woke up gasping for breath, trying to chase away the feeling of being crushed. He swung his feet to the floor desperate to find something to ground him. His room was dark and quiet, save for the sounds of New York and May had the night shift again. He looked over at the clock on his night stand and saw it was about 4am. _It's okay you're safe. You can breathe. You're not there anymore._ He said to himself. It's a mantra he had picked up from Tony, who had to calm him down one night after passing out in the lab. Tonight, his mantra wasn't enough. No matter how many times he said it, he couldn't slow his breathing or his heart rate, so he put his suit on and climbed up the fire escape to the roof. The chilly September night air rushed over him and he could feel himself relaxing. The lights and sounds of New York never ceased to put him at ease. _I can squeeze another patrol in before school._ He thought and then he swung away. "Karen, any police scanners showing some activity?" "None so far, but Mr. Stark says to remind you that you should be in bed." He sighed and swung to another rooftop. "Tell Mr. Stark that I know that and I'm just trying to pick up some slack." He jumps off to swing to another one. "Oh and tell him that he should be in bed too!" 

School in the morning was brutal. He floated through most of his morning classes, yawning and trying to keep up with the lesson. Ned confronted him at lunch. "Hey, man. You look like you need a nap." They moved to their table. "Wanna talk about it?" Peter shook his head. "I just... I haven't been sleeping well. Got a lot of ... work you know?" Ned lowered his voice. "Spider-Man work?" he asked. "Yeah. And the internship stuff too." "Well, if you need anything, remember I'm your guy in the chair." he smiled and patted his friend's shoulder. Peter huffed a small laugh. "Speaking of work, I can't make it to practice after school today. Mr. Stark wants me in the lab right after school. Can you tell MJ?" "I'm right here." and both boys turn to look at the girl sitting at the end of their table. "Sorry, MJ. Didn't see you there. I can-" "I heard. No worries. Make sure you study up for the next practice though." "Thanks." “And don’t come in limping or scratched up either.”

After school ended, Peter went to the Tower. His head was still a bit foggy from the lack of sleep this past week but he was determined to stay on top of his work (and Spider-Man upgrades) with Mr. Stark. During his early morning patrol, he noticed that his web shooters were slightly lagging so he planned to take a look at them but Mr. Stark had sent him a message during school. It said he was to report to the lab as soon as school let out so here he was."Hey Mr. Stark! What was so important-" He freezes as he enters the lab. Mr. Stark turns and smiles at him but Peter's gaze is frozen on the handsome, sandy-haired boy standing next to the man. "Hey Pete! Glad you're here." Tony gestures to the boy next to him. "This is Harley Keener." Peter shakes himself out of his daze. "Oh! You're Harley? Mr. Stark talks about you a lot! Says you're a genius!" He was bouncing with excitement. _And not so bad on the eyes either._ Harley chuckles. "I saved his life.” He says as Tony rolls his eyes. “And you're Peter. Tony's talked a lot about you as well." "He did?" Peter asks incredulously. "Yeah." Harley drawls. "He said you were pretty fucking smart too." Peter beamed at Tony. 

"Anyway, I thought it was a good idea for you two to meet since Harley's gonna be staying in NY for a while." Tony said, the mirth in Harley’s eyes, dimming. "He'll be going to your school and working here so I figured why not have you show him around." "You're going to Midtown?" Peter asked. "Seems that way, darlin'." said Harley and Peter looked away. He could feel the blush forming on his cheeks. Tony just looked between them. "Alright. I'm gonna go see if Pepper needs me for... something." He started to leave. "Why don't you show Harley what you've been working on and I don't know... 'Netflix and chill' or whatever kids these days do." After the collective groan from the teens, Tony left them alone. 

Peter stood awkwardly, trying to will his blush to go away. "So," Harley started, taking a step towards him. "What's the old man got you working on?" His slight southern accent did wonders to Peter's heart rate and the blush was coming in full force. "I uh- Well, I've been working on some stuff for SI but there's these cool things for the Avengers that Mr. Stark lets me work on sometimes." "Whoa, do you work on Spider-Man stuff?" Harley asks and Peter nods. He continues rambling while pulling up schematics of weapons and other gear. Harley takes it all in stride, marveling at Peter. He's smiling at this boy with fluffy brown hair, wide eyes, a dorky science tee shirt and seemingly endless enthusiasm. He feels his heart skip a beat when Peter brushes up against him to reach for a particular gadget and he's thinking about how he's only been here for less than a day and it feels more like home than his house ever was. 

Harley and Peter work together for a while, both of them losing track of time when Peter's stomach growls. "Wow," he says and checks the time. "It's almost 8 and I haven't eaten anything since lunch at school. You hungry?" Harley smirks. "Starving." "Then let me take you to the place that makes the best sandwiches." Peter takes Harley by the hand and leads him out, trying to ignore the spark he felt when their hands touched and the warm feeling in his chest as they leave together.

As they walk through the busy streets, Harley can't help but marvel at how Peter can weave through hordes of people without completely crashing into someone and hold a full conversation. He's listening to Peter tell stories about the neighborhood as he's being pulled by the hand around the city and he's laughing. Holding hands with a boy he's just met and getting dragged around a strange city. As strange as it seemed, Harley thought this day couldn't get any better. If anyone wants proof of that, just look at Harley. He's laughing. Actually laughing. Something he hasn't done in a long time. “Hey, Mr. Delmar!” Peter calls as they enter the corner bodega. “Hey, Parker. The usual?” Peter nods and then looks at Harley who’s looking at the menu confused. “Make that two.”

With their sandwiches, Peter leads Harley to one of his favorite places: the roof. “It’s not Manhattan lights but there’s something calming about Queens.” They’re sitting in the edge above the fire escape and enjoying their sandwiches. “You’re from Tennessee right?” Peter asks. “You’re darn tootin’, sweetheart.” Harley exaggerates his southern twang and wiggles his eyebrows and Peter laughs. Harley thinks it's the most magical sound he's ever heard. “What brings you away from your farm, Old McDonald?” Harley turns away from Peter’s warm and inviting face. “It’s uh- it’s not a nice story.” Harley’s gaze is a thousand miles away and Peter immediately regrets the question. “Oh uh, sorry. You don’t have to answer if you uh, if you don’t want to. Sorry.” “Naw, it’s alright. Long story, short the town was too small for a hotshot like me.” Peter could connect the dots from that. “I’m sorry.” “Not your fault, darlin’.” 

They sit in silence for a while. “You know, if you need to talk to someone about stuff like that. I’ll listen.” Harley smiles. “Thanks.” He bumps Peter’s shoulder as they stare out to the town below. Suddenly, Peter stiffens and Harley hears a faint siren a couple of blocks away. “Uh. I’m sorry, Harley but I gotta go.” He looks at his watch frantically. “I forgot I had to help my Aunt May with… something.” Harley’s confused but stands as Peter quickly gathers his belongings. “I’ll-uh-I’ll see you tomorrow okay? I’m so sorry. I really gotta go.” “Okay? See ya?” Harley gives a small wave as Peter practically flies down the fire escape and into the night. Harley feels let down by the sudden end to their outing but picks up his phone and calls Tony. 

“Hey Harles. What’s up?”  
“Can you come pick me up?”  
“Sure. Thought you were with Pete though.”  
“I was and we were having a great time but he just uh- ran off.”  
“Oh.” A pause. “That kid’s got a lot going on. Please don't think anything of it. Anyway, where are you? Never mind. I’ll just track your phone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note: The only person who ships Harley and Peter more than me is Tony. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA <3


	4. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley starts high school with Peter and he meets some cool people along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I just made my Monday deadline! Hooray!!!
> 
> My life has been hectic trying to find time for writing and editing so I'm proud of myself for getting this out there. Sorry it's so late!
> 
> Thanks a bunch for the reads and the kudoses (what's the plural of kudos?). Every notification I get from you guys means a lot to me.
> 
> So here's another chapter installment!

Harley's first day at Midtown goes fairly well. Peter meets him at the front door, apologizing for ditching him yesterday for about 5 minutes before Harley has to physically stop him from bouncing. Peter then switches to promises to make it up to him. Harley can’t help but forgive the big, brown doe eyes but he rolls his own and together they head to homeroom. "Over down that hallway is the gym and cafeteria. Oh! And there is the chem lab for 3rd period. And over that way is the robotics lab." Harley is smiling at the boy next to him. "Where do you keep all of this energy, darlin'?" He asks and Peter blushes at the nickname, neglecting to answer. "And here is our homeroom. Oh hey! Come meet my friends." Peter takes Harley's hand and leads him to the back of the room where Ned and MJ are sitting while Harley tries to stop himself from focusing on their clasped hands. "Hey Peter! I finally got the Lego Death Star display set up perfectly." "Sweet! Can I see after school?" Ned nods and then looks at Harley. "Oh and by the way, this is Harley. He's another intern and he's staying with Mr. Stark." MJ spares one glance up from her book and eyes their still clasped hands. "Awesome." Ned says, not noticing. "Are you working on the same stuff as Peter?" Peter gives Ned a look but Harley doesn't notice. "A little bit," Harley drawls. "But I think Tony is gonna let me work on some R&D for SI. I’ll leave the Avengers upgrades to Peter for now." He turns to Peter with a warm smile. "Although, from all the stuff you've shown me about your work, I'd love to help out." MJ finally looks up from her book and eyes Harley. "So, you're smart then?" Harley doesn't falter at her direct nature. "Yes, ma'am." "Good, we need another person on the team." "Team?" Peter jumps in. "Academic Decathlon. One of the members dropped out to join the football team." Harley raised an eyebrow and Peter shrugged. "Yeah, we thought it was a dumb idea too but he's on the team now so, I guess he's doing alright." The bell rings and they reluctantly let go of each other's hands.

"Whew, I never knew school could actually be challenging." Harley says as they make their way to the cafeteria. "The most challenging thing about school back in Rose Hill was figuring out how many things I could invent in my head before the bell rang." Peter laughs. "Glad to know that Midtown's treating you well." He holds out his hand for Harley. "Let's go grab some food before the line gets too long." Harley smiles and takes it. He's still nervous holding hands with a boy in public but with Peter, there's this overwhelming sense of calm that pushes those nervous feelings away. 

They make their way to the cafeteria and Ned waves to let them know where they're sitting. MJ is there too, eyeing their clasped hands again. Peter's blushing and leads Harley to the line but is stopped by Flash. "Hey Penis Parker." He says mockingly. "Gonna ditch practice today for your fake internship again?" "Cut it out, Flash." Peter says. "Whatever, Penis. And who's this dreamboat?" Flash leers at Harley. "What are you doing with Penis here? Why don't you come hang with a real man?" Flash is posturing and stepping between them, breaking their contact. He's getting into Harley's space, blocking Peter from Harley's view. "Penis Parker over here couldn't handle you anyway." "Handle me?" Harley asks dripping with southern charm. "You’re name’s Flash, right?” “Don’t wear it out, handsome.” He winks and Harley gives him his most sarcastic smile. “Flash, I don't think you could handle me in a million years." He side-steps around him. "Peter," He emphasizes, "is more of a man than you will ever be." And with that, he takes Peter's hand and leads him to grab lunch, leaving Flash dumbstruck in the middle of the lunchroom.

Finally, away from Flash, Peter turns to Harley. "You didn't have to do that." Harley bumped his shoulder. "I wanted to. I know what it's like." Peter looks up at him with sad eyes. "It wasn't that bad though." Peter starts. "I've had worse." Harley looks hurt at this but decides not to pry. They've only known each other for a day after all. They continue with lunch, meeting MJ and Ned at their table. "What was that about?" Ned asks. MJ closes her book. "Flash is just an asshole with nothing better to do." She's giving Peter a look that says text me later and Peter just nods. "That was funny though. Seeing Flash speechless like that." She says with a smirk. "Wow! You got MJ to smile at you on your first day!" Ned says. "Took us weeks." He high-fives Harley who's laughing along. He might just find a place to belong here. And if Peter is by his side, all the better.

 **fuckoff:** i approve  
**guyinchair:** he seems like a really cool dude.  
**pbandslay:** guys stop.  
**pbandslay:** with spiderman and the internship i got too much on my plate already.  
**pbandslay:** but he's cute

The first weeks fly by and Harley finds himself with a place to belong in Peter's friend group. It's something he hasn't felt in a long time. What's even better is how much closer he and Peter are getting. After their Delmar's excursion, Peter insists on taking Harley to his favorite places in New York. They'll work in the lab after school or practice and once one of them realizes they haven't eaten in hours, Peter will drag Harley out to another eatery. Harley loves these outings. Sometimes they'll take Abbie with them, or Pepper will pick something and Happy will drive and even Tony jumps in, offering his favorite Italian place. But Harley loves the ones when it's just them two together. The shy glances, shoulder bumps and 'innocent' hand holding as they walk though the city all make Harley's heart skip a beat. Though he's happier than he's been in months or maybe years, he can't help but feel like there's something Peter isn't telling him. Sometimes they'll have to cut their meetings short as Peter runs off into the night, leaving Harley to call Tony or Pepper to pick him up. Sometimes, they won't even make it out of the Tower and Peter's already leaving, rushing a quick apology and goodbye. 

It keeps him up at night sometimes. Peter and he had grown quite close, working in the lab, at school and even teaming up to bother Tony as much as possible. “I swear, some days I regret ever letting you gremlins meet.” Tony says one day cleaning up the mess their last prank left behind. Harley and Peter just snicker at him until Peter leaves, just as abruptly as the other times. Harley’s mood sours just a bit at that and Tony picks up on it. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing against you.” He starts. “The kid loves hanging with you. He’s just.. got a lot on his plate.” 

Harley’s dwelling on this when he walks to the roof of the Tower. One of the few things he misses from Rose Hill is the night sky. Every clear night sky was filled with stars. New York’s got too much light pollution to see many stars but the lights of Manhattan paint a beautiful urban landscape so it'll have to do. He’s admiring it when something, no someone, lands on the roof. He turns around to find Spider-Man. “Holy shit.” He says with disbelief. “You’re- you’re fuckin' Spider-Man.” The hero seems to stumble a bit before catching himself. “You got that right, kid.” His voice sounds vaguely familiar but Harley can’t seem to pinpoint exactly where he’s heard it before. “What are you doing up so late?” Spider-Man asks. “I could ask you the same thing, Spanx.” Spider-Man sputters over the nickname and Harley snickers. “Hey, who you calling Spanx, Princess?” He starts, “You should be in bed.” He crosses his arms, with an air of amusement. “You’re a growing boy.” “Well from where I’m standing, it looks like you could use a growth spurt too.” The eyes on the mask narrow slightly. “Touche.”

“Anyway, what’s eating you?” Spidey asks. “What makes you think I’ll tell you?” Harley deflects and the hero raises his hands in defense. “Hey, hey, hey. I’m not trying to pry. But rooftops are my favorite places to think.” He moves to sit on the edge with his legs hanging and gestures for Harley to sit next to him. “This rooftop has one of the best views after all.” Together they sit in silence. After a few minutes of listening to the sounds of New York, Harley breaks the peace. “I moved here in September.” He starts. “I met this guy who’s helped me feel like I belong and it’s great!” There’s a small smile forming on his face. “He’s so cute and real sweet, and smarter than anyone I’ve ever met and that includes Mr. I-have-a-building-with-my-name-on-it.” They share a small laugh. “But as close as we’ve gotten, I think there’s something he’s hiding from me.” He looks over at Spider-Man. “He just disappears or has to leave so suddenly, and I can tell he feels bad about it cause he apologizes and makes it up to me later which is always amazing. But sometimes he comes back with bruises or scratches or I won’t see him for a few days, and it worries me. He worries me. I know I’ve only known him for a couple of months but…” His sentence trails off. 

Peter’s sitting quietly, taking it all in. _Is he talking about me?_ “Sorry to dump that on you.” Harley says. “I’m sure you’ve got bigger things to worry about than some random kid’s issues.” “No worries, man.” Peter says trying to steady his voice. “I’m always willing to help, whether it’s talking or punching.” That earns him a smirk. “And I think you should give your friend some time. I’m sure he doesn’t want you to worry so much about him.” “Well, I can’t help it.” Harley replies. “He’s kind of an adorable mess so someone’s gotta worry.” Peter smiles and he’s glad the mask is on because he’s blushing furiously. “Thanks for the talk, Spandex.” Harley says, starting to get up. “Anytime, kid. And your friend will come around, eventually.” “I know.” He says. “Well,” Peter starts. “Get some sleep, kid. See ya.” And with that he swan-dives off the building. Harley looks over the edge to watch Spider-Man swing away. “That's fuckin' awesome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuckoff = MJ  
> guyinchair = Ned  
> pbandslay = Peter
> 
> I apologize for suuuuuuuuper lame names but I couldn't think of better ones.... let me know what you think about them. 
> 
> In my head, Harley's about 6 feet tall, maybe 6' 1" and Peter is about 5' 6". Also If you didn't get it from my last chapter, MJ knows about Spider-Man.
> 
> And Flash is a prick..... 
> 
> Comments are food for my soul.
> 
> -PA <3


	5. Star Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley hasn't seen Star Wars so Peter thinks they should remedy that. Also, Tony and FRIDAY have a little fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Looks like Mondays seem like the best days for posting so here's another chapter. 
> 
> It's kind of a fluffy-ish piece and it might be a bit of a filler chapter but I like cutesy Parkner.
> 
> SO.... enjoy!!
> 
> I don't anything from the MCU!

Harley thinks about the little chat he had with Spider-Man a lot. The hero didn’t really give him some great eye-opening piece of advice, but it felt nice to talk about what he was feeling with someone. Of course, he’s also thinking about how awesome it was to actually meet Spider-Man. He’s still thinking about it when MJ, Ned, and Peter sit next to him at lunch. “What’s eating you, Harley?” Harley looks up to see Ned across from him looking at him expectantly. MJ is sitting next to Ned with her nose in a book and Peter is right next to Harley, casually leaning against his shoulder. “Oh, I-uh,” His voice drops to a whisper. “I met Spider-Man last night.” At the mention of the name, Peter goes stock still, meeting Ned’s gaze and MJ looks up from her book. “So, what,” MJ says, “we’ve all met him.” Harley can’t keep the shocked expression from his face. “What?” She asks after a beat of silence. “He saved me and some of the team in DC when we went to a competition.” Ned adds helpfully. Harley is oblivious to Peter giving MJ and Ned a semi-death glare which she just returns. He turns to Peter for a moment. "Shit! Were you there?" He asks. "Oh- uh no I was uh in DC but I was sick that day." Peter fidgets and Harley seems suspicious but is distracted by MJ cutting in. “Yeah and when we hang out at the Tower with Peter, sometimes he drops by for upgrades and shit.” She explains. Ned nods and says, “It’s no secret that Iron Man helps Spider-Man out with tech and stuff.” “Oh yeah! I mean you were showing me that stuff that you were working on for Spider-Man too right Peter?” Harley turns to him. “Oh, uh, yeah. That’s right!” He’s blushing and stammering which Harley finds adorable but confusing. “What did you guys talk about?” asks MJ, grabbing Harley’s attention again. Peter, out of Harley’s line of sight, is trying to signal to her that she should shut up. She just looks at him defiantly. “Oh, uh, just about stuff.” “Stuff.” She repeats. “Yeah like how I moved here and the people I’ve met. That kind of stuff.” Harley looks away from her. “Just normal stuff.” Peter’s beet red and MJ just raises an eyebrow and goes back to her book. 

Sensing the awkwardness, Ned tries to diffuse it. “SO.... What’s your favorite Star Wars film, Harley?” Ned asks. _What a segue Ned._ “Oh, uh, I don’t have one?” He answers. Ned laughs and pretends to wipe a tear out of his eye. “No, seriously.” He says. Harley is silent and Peter jumps in. “You have seen the Star Wars movies, right?” He meets Peter’s brown doe eyes. “Uh, I think I saw the first one? With that little kid?” Ned’s jaw drops and Peter fake faints onto his shoulder. MJ simply looks up from her book. “You’re hanging with the two biggest Star Wars nerds on the planet.” She deadpans and Harley laughs, looking at his two gobsmacked friends. He can smell Peter's intoxicating shampoo. “How have you not seen the movies?" Ned asks and Harley just shrugs. "I don't know." He feels like Peter can stare into his soul. "I just, uh, never got around to it. I was always working back in Tennessee. Never really had the time or the friends to go watch a movie." Peter nods in understanding and places a hand on top of his. "Well then, I know what we're gonna do today." 

After school and AcaDeca practice ("I don't care if he hasn't seen the movies or that it's Friday, you've already missed practice twice this week, Peter, and I need both of you at practice today."), Peter all but drags Harley outside to where Happy is waiting. The whole ride to the Tower, Peter is rambling about how much he will love the original Star Wars movies and when they finally reach their destination, Harley's being pulled by his hand into the Tower. Peter's hand is warm, and Harley loves the softness of Peter's skin against his own. The shorter boy asks FRIDAY to set up the movie queue while he grabs snacks. "Thank god it's Friday." says Peter. "I'm always here boys." The AI said cheekily, and Harley winked at one of the cameras as Peter threw popcorn up to catch it in his mouth. "Of course, Fri! And it's also a day of not worrying about school tomorrow!" Peter adds. They both chuckle and settle in on the couch as the lights dim and A New Hope starts. The bucket of popcorn is settled between them and their shoulders are touching. Peter is so engrossed in the movie, like he's seeing it for the first time but he's mouthing the dialogue along with the characters. Harley's doing double duty: he's watching the movie (which is pretty cool, to say the least) but he's also watching Peter watch the movie. It's adorable the way his eyes light up at certain scenes and the way his lips look against the light of the screen makes Harley's mind go straight to the gutter.

Before they know it, the movie's over and FRIDAY's queuing up the next one. Harley can hardly believe he'd never seen this. It was amazing and every bit as awesome as Peter said it was. Peter stretches which causes his tee shirt to ride up and expose a strip of skin and Harley's staring at it. "So, what'd you think?" Peter asks. “Loved it, darlin'. It was great, like you promised. And Harrison Ford is sexy.” Harley says as he wrenches his eyes away from the other boy's toned body and wiggles his eyebrows. Peter giggles and agrees. "He's hot and Leia's pretty smokin' too." "Not really my type. I prefer lightsabers." Harley smirks and Peter full on guffaws. "I can't believe you're using lightsabers as a euphemism." Harley joins his infectious laughter. "Like you haven't heard that before." The laughter quiets down and both boys look at each other intensely. Peter gasps a little, seeing Harley's blown out pupils. He can hear Harley's heartbeat quicken and feel a blush creeping up his neck. They're slowly leaning towards each other when suddenly someone walks into the room. 

"So, I was wondering why the lab was so empty and FRIDAY told me you were having a movie marathon without me." Tony says, mocking offense. "I'm so hurt!" The boys jump away from each other on the couch and Tony is hiding his smug demeanor behind exaggerated obliviousness. Harley can see right through it but Peter is freaking out. "Oh my gosh. I'm sorry, Mr. Stark!" He cries. "I just thought that since it's Friday, and Harley hasn't seen the Star Wars movies and we've been way ahead of schedule with the SI updates and Avengers gear that we should take a break. I should have asked. I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark!" Harley places a hand on Peter's shoulder to calm him down. "Come on, Mechanic." He says. "Pete’s right. We're done with work for the week and we're kids. We deserve a Friday off." Harley's pulling off the best puppy dog eyes he can muster and Tony just chuckles. "I'm just kidding, squirt. Have fun with your movies." He says to Peter. "And Harley, you should try those eyes on Rhodey sometime. I wanna see if you can break my platypus' iron will." And Tony leaves them alone. "FRIDAY?" He asks once he's out in the hallway. "Yes, Boss?" "Save a picture of Harley and Peter from right before I walked in to a folder." "And what should I call this folder?" "Call it whatever you want, baby girl. But make sure if you see them doing stuff like that again, to save some footage or pictures there. Got it?" "Of course."

Harley turns to Peter who's looks flustered and adorable with the pink tint to his cheeks. "Oh man, I thought I messed up my internship again." Peter groans as he leans back into the couch. Harley just laughs. "Naw, the Man in the Can's got a soft spot for you and he was joking about the lab being empty." He leans back into the sofa then he registers what Peter said. "What do you mean again?" Peter takes a breath. "Uh, well, I was just trying to uh- pull some extra hours with uh- with work and stuff." He turned and kept his gaze straight ahead. "He told me not to do something but I didn't listen and did it anyway and he had to save me- I mean you know bail me out of the mess I was in." There's a pause. "He um- He grounded me sort of?" Despite the sadness, Peter smiled a little, like he was thinking of an inside joke. He paused, the smile fading away and Harley waited. There was more to this story than Peter was letting on judging by the haunted look on his face. "Darlin'?" He asked after a few minutes of silence. Peter shook his head. "Oh, uh, yeah, he got mad but then we made up so everything's back to normal." There was a crooked grin on his face. Harley saw through it. Those expressive brown doe eyes couldn't hide the haunted look lurking there. "Pete-" He started but he was brushed aside. "Let's watch the next movie." Peter says, moving the popcorn bucket into his lap and leaning up against Harley who pauses and then wraps his arm around him. He relishes in the feeling of Peter's smaller but firm body up against his lanky one. "Whatever you want sweetheart." He mumbles happily as FRIDAY starts the movie. 

A few hours later, Tony's in his lab and smiles at a notification from FRIDAY. "New picture added to 'Parkner Moments.'" He opens it and sees Peter on top of Harley almost lying down on the couch, fast asleep. "Where'd you get the name, FRI?" He asks. "It's apparently an internet fan term called a 'ship name' where you combine the names of two people, typically characters in a TV show or movie, to represent their existing or non-existent relationship. It seemed fitting." Tony chuckles. "You're not wrong there, baby girl. Now where was Peter on his Spider-Man suit upgrades?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forget what I said last chapter, FRIDAY ships Peter and Harley wayyyyy more than Tony.
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA <3


	6. Consequences of Pranks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pranks are more fun with someone else to plan them with. And if you get caught then at least you're not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello there! Happy Monday and here's another chapter! 
> 
> Another cutesy one but it's more like a part one I guess? The one after this is a direct continuation.
> 
> Thanks for the reads/kudos(es) (jury's still out on how to spell that properly)!! You are all lovely people!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> I don't own anything in the MCU.

Despite her outward appearance, Pepper Potts has a sense of humor. She laughs at funny videos on the internet and really lame jokes but she doesn't think she's laughed this hard in a while. She had just walked into the lab one morning after hearing a muffled 'pop,' to a shocked Tony covered in glitter and feathers. She's almost doubled over laughing with tears in her eyes when Tony snaps out of it and smirks. "This is nowhere near the top of the list of strange things you've seen me do in here." He says. Pepper calms herself down a bit and wipes her tears away. "It's not but I might have to start a new list for this. FRIDAY told me that the boys are getting along great and now I think I have proof." Tony grabs a rag and starts to try and clean himself up. "Yeah maybe a little too great." He mumbles. 

As if on cue, Harley and Peter stroll into the lab. "Hey Potts, looking good!" Harley flirts while Peter just says hi and waves politely. "Hey, Sparkles. That's a new look." says Harley. Peter's barely hiding his laughter. "You know what, Keener?" starts Tony who is slowly walking towards the boys. Peter who sees what's going to happen barely jumps out of the way as Tony bear hugs Harley. "Oh no! Get off me, Stark!" "Ha ha! This is what happens when you mess with my stuff!!" Tony's rubbing his face on Harley, trying to cover the boy with as much glitter and feathers as possible. Peter and Pepper have started another bout of laughter and the bots seem excited too. U and Butterfingers are beeping happily at the two of them but the most enthusiastic one is DUM-E who somehow found the fire extinguisher that Tony had hidden from him. Neither Harley nor Tony sees it DUM-E before it's too late. "Argh! DUM-E!" Yells Tony through the foam. "How many times do I have to tell you that you only need this if there's a fire?!" He says which prompts DUM-E to spray him again. "I guess I should have seen that coming." He pauses. "Now come here!" DUM-E is beeping frantically and rolling away from Tony as fast as he can, threatening to spray the inventor again.

Harley, on the other hand, is laying on the floor, having slipped in the foamy mess that DUM-E created. He looks up at Pepper and Peter who are laughing at Tony and DUM-E and pauses. Peter's laughter is music to Harley's ears. It's light and high-pitched and the way his eyes crinkle make his face literally glow and that could be the loveliest sight there is. Peter looks over at Harley who's propped himself up on his elbows. "You alright there, Country boy?" Peter asks. "You look a little messy." Harley smirks and gets up, walking towards the two clean members of the group. "And both of you look so fresh and clean." He says with a mischievous grin. "You get one stain on this outfit, Keener," Pepper warns as she makes her way to Tony who's gotten the fire extinguisher and is scolding DUM-E. "and I'll be your worst nightmare." Harley backs off. Pepper can be scary if she really needs to be. So, he turns to Peter who's trying to find a way out of the lab. "Hey Parker?" Harley sing-songs as he creeps towards him. "Harley, come on. Don't do it." Peter's got his hands up in defense for a few seconds until he darts to the side, out of Harley's reach. "Get back here you little bastard!" 

Peter runs around the lab easily eluding Harley's attempts at tackling him. "Try to keep up, slow-poke!" He calls behind him. Harley's having fun but he's getting frustrated. "Ugh!" He grunts after lunging and missing Peter for the fourth time. Peter's looking back and laughing at Harley, so he almost doesn't notice Tony's foot out to trip him. He avoids it but Harley doesn't see it so he trips..... "Oh shit!" right into Peter's waiting arms. 

Peter's body is firm and toned from what Harley can tell. Even though he's about half a foot taller than Peter, Harley's never been extremely muscular. Sure, he had muscles from working in the Auto Body shop and his own garage, but he's always been thin and lanky. Not that he minded. Before he was outed so rudely, he could see the way the girls back in Rose Hill looked at him. But Peter was defined. Underneath the punny science tee shirts, cardigans and adorable puppy exterior, Peter Parker was _strong_. He caught Harley and didn't crumble under the weight of another person. "I gotcha, cowboy." Peter whispered before turning to Tony to yell at him. "Mr. Stark that was rude!" Pepper joins in as well. "That was very irresponsible." Tony simply shrugs. "Hey, they started it, the little demons. And it's my lab." Harley moves to stand up properly, almost slipping again and grabbing hold of Peter's broad shoulders. "Thanks." He mumbles, hoping his face isn't too pink. Peter steadies Harley. "You good there?" Harley meets concerned brown eyes and sucks in a breath. "Uh, yeah." The two of them are just standing in each other's space. 

Tony's voice breaks them out of it. "Hey, you two better clean this place up!" Harley looks over at Tony who's trying his hardest to look angry, but Harley can see the smug expression trying to break free. "Says the Tin Can who almost killed me." He says. Tony's face morphs to a hurt expression. "Why I would never!" "Mr. Stark, you tripped him." Peter chimes in and Harley takes this moment to shake some of the glitter he had in his hair onto Peter. The shorter boy shrieks and tries to get away but it's too late. Now Tony, Harley and Peter are covered in foam, glitter and feathers.

"Alright, boys." Pepper calls. "Tony has to get cleaned up for an SI meeting in 30 minutes. I'm taking Abbie and May to have a girls' spa day and you two," She points to the teens. "have to clean this place up." "Aww come on, Ms. Potts!" Peter cries. "We've got plans with MJ and Ned today." "Well that was before you caused this mess." she says, in full mom mode now. She starts to leave, taking Tony with her. "Oh, and FRIDAY? Make sure they actually do the cleaning and not cheat with U or Butterfingers please." "Got it, Boss Lady." 

The two boys look at each other after Pepper leaves. “Alright boys, you heard the Boss Lady.” FRIDAY started. “I’ve already alerted Mr. Leeds and Ms. Jones about what’s going on and they’ve agreed to push back the guilty pleasure movie marathon to later. Now you’d better get started or I’ll sick DUM-E on you again.” Harley and Peter rush to grab some rags as DUM-E beeps happily behind U and Butterfingers. Together, it takes them about two hours to finish with minimal hold ups for teasing and flirting. 

Once the lab is clean, they go to their separate rooms to shower and get ready. Peter takes his time washing his hair but he didn’t get the brunt of Tony’s bear hug, so it doesn’t take him long to finish getting ready. “Harley?” He calls as he walks to the other boy’s room. “Ned and MJ said they’re gonna be here soo-“ Peter freezes. Harley is standing just outside his bathroom dripping wet. He’s only wearing a towel around his waist and using a smaller one to dry his dirty blonde curls. “Oh, hey darlin’.” He says with a suggestive smile. “What were you saying, sweetheart?” Peter’s face feels like it’s on fire. The water drops from Harley’s hair fall onto a lean chest and outline every muscle. The towel is hanging low on his hips and the smile on his face is making blood rush to a different part of Peter’s body. “I-uh,” He starts as Harley moves closer to him. Peter’s heart rate speeds up with every step and he can only keep his eyes locked on Harley’s. “Um, I,” He tries again but Harley’s smoldering gaze feels like he’s looking into his soul. Harley reaches down and takes Peter’s phone from his hand. “Your phone’s been going off for a while now, darlin’. I think MJ and Ned might be in the Tower now.” He holds the phone out so Peter can take it. Peter reaches for his phone but he’s also trying to restrain himself from touching the bare chest in front of him. “Oh. Uh, thanks.” His eyes never leave Harley’s, which are so, so blue but much darker than before. 

Harley’s taller frame looms over Peter and neither have let go of the phone between them. Peter can smell the Harley’s spicy shampoo and it consumes him. It’s intoxicating and addictive and he wants to lose himself in it, so he leans closer. He can hear Harley’s breath hitch and his heartbeat getting faster so he freezes where he is, a silent question in his eyes. Harley swallows, his eyes flicking down to Peter’s full pink lips. He places his hand on the door frame behind Peter, effectively caging the shorter boy but Peter doesn’t seem to mind. Their eyes are locked together, almost daring the other to make the first move and they can feel the other’s breath on their lips. 

“Excuse me.” 

Both boys jump apart at FRIDAY’s interruption. Peter backs into the closed door behind him and Harley is clutching at the towel around his waist, his face and neck starting to turn an alarming shade of red. “I apologize for ruining the moment.” Peter swears he can hear something smug in her voice. “But I believe your guests have arrived. I’m directing them to the lounge area. Mr. Parker, I believe you should make your way there as Mr. Keener makes himself decent.” Peter chuckles at the annoyed look Harley gives one of FRIDAY’s cameras. “Alright, Fri.” Peter says. He rubs the back of his neck nervously. “I’ll-uh I’ll see you out there?” He didn’t mean it to come out as a question. Harley gives him a lopsided smile. “Of course, darlin’. I’ll be out in a jiffy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So FRIDAY might ship them hard but she's still a troll and I love her. 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! 
> 
> -PA <3


	7. Guilty Pleasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four teenagers (plus two adults and a preteen) participate in a guilty pleasure movie marathon. Shenanigans ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Welcome to another Monday chapter update.
> 
> First of all, hope you all had a wonderful holiday (if you celebrate it, of course) 'cause I certainly did. I swear I ate my weight in food last week....
> 
> Also, I fully intended to post this last week as a Christmas gift but I forgot that when I'm with my family, everything just gets 10x crazier so I had no time to myself at all. 
> 
> I'm still writing the story and as I post chapters, we're slowly creeping towards the chapter I'm working on. I'm kind of in a state of writers' block right now so hopefully I get over it soon.
> 
> As always, I don't own anything in the MCU!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!!

As Peter makes his way to MJ and Ned, he dwells on what almost happened. The smell of Harley's shampoo drawing him in. His focus was solely on the taller boy in front of him. Everything else was gone. All of his senses were on Harley. He felt himself heating up. It was a nice feeling. And it looked like Harley was into it too. A dopey smile grew on his face as he entered the lounge. 

"Hey!" MJ's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You're late." "You guys just got here!" Peter whines. Ned's holding a bowl of popcorn and moving towards the couch. "Where's country boy?" He asks through a mouthful of popcorn. "He's getting dressed." Peter answers nonchalantly but Ned freezes and MJ raises an eyebrow. "Why are you guys loo- No! Not like that!" He sputters. His face is hot and he's waving his hands frantically. "He just took a shower! We didn't do- He had to- It's nothing like that!" Peter's flailing and he fails to notice Harley walking in behind him. MJ smirks and Ned is trying to stifle a laugh. Harley simply leans on the wall silently laughing at a flustered Peter Parker. _Even from behind, he looks amazing._ MJ and Ned both catch his eye while Peter continues struggling around his explanation. 

"Nothing like what, darlin'?" Peter whips around and his eyes go wide as he sees Harley. He's wearing a old fraying Rose Hill High sweatshirt with a loose collar which exposes his well-defined collarbone that Peter wants to lick. _Where did that come from?_ "See here's the country boy back from his shower." "Country boy?" Harley asks, walking towards the group, but he's ignored. "He was just getting his clothes on from a shower that he took after our glitter and feathers prank on Mr. Stark who was cool enough to let us stay here for the weekend and watch a ton of movies so we should probably go do that." Peter's rambling is cut off by an arm around his shoulders. "Lead the way, short-stack." "I'm not short! You're not that much taller than me!" Peter complains. "Oh right. Not short. You're the perfect size." MJ rolls her eyes as the four teens finally crash onto the couches. Ned and MJ take the larger one, with MJ stretching out and plopping her legs onto Ned who shifts the bowl of popcorn just in time. "MJ..." He whines. "Move me and you die." she deadpans. Harley and Peter are left with the loveseat which has just enough room for both of them to squish together comfortably. "FRIDAY?" Peter calls. "Play the Guilty Pleasures Playlist!" 

Despite Peter and Ned being Star Wars nerds, MJ's love of historical dramas, horror films and indie flicks, and Harley being a fan of action and comedy movies, the four of them all agree that rom-coms and chick flicks are the best guilty pleasure movies. No matter how cheesy and predictable they are, they're the best kind of movie to watch all together and the Guilty Pleasures Playlist was full of them. As the movies start, the teens settle down... until they start yelling at the screen. "UGH that guy is the worst." MJ says as '10 Things I Hate About You' plays. "But Heath Ledger is hot." says Harley, with his arm still around Peter. "As the token straight friend," Ned says, "I can say with confidence that Heath Ledger is objectively hot." They proceed to throw popcorn at the screen whenever Joey Donner shows up and Peter tears up when Kat recites her poem at the end. Harley catches this and whispers. "You alright there, darlin'?" Peter nods. "I love these movies." 

Just before 'Dirty Dancing' starts to play, Tony, Pepper and Abbie file in, taking spots on the couch or in Abbie's case a couch cushion on the floor. "It makes the TV look bigger." She defends. 'Dirty Dancing' is Harley's favorite and when the final dance scene starts, he pulls Peter up to dance with him. "Now I've had the time of my life..." He croons, and Peter is momentarily shocked at how velvety Harley's voice sounds. Ned whoops. MJ just smiles along. Pepper drags Tony into dancing as well while Abbie jumps to the beat. The ever helpful FRIDAY bumps the sound up and lowers the lights as Harley twirls Peter around. While Peter had two left feet when it came to dancing, Harley knew all steps to Patrick Swayze's final dance. They're all laughing but Harley knows he looks good, if the look on Peter's face is anything to go by. The fluffy hair is pointing in all directions from spinning around, his eyes are wide, and his mouth is parted. Harley smirks at him, perfectly moving his hips and looking every bit as sexy as Patrick Swayze.

When it comes to the big jump, there's a silent agreement between the two boys who nod at each other just before Peter runs at Harley. It's perfect. Peter's smiling and everyone else is cheering but he can't hear them. All he can feel are the warm hands at his waist holding him up. Peter never thought something so ridiculous would feel so euphoric. He's basking in the feeling when it gets cut short as Harley starts to bring him down and slips, bringing both boys down to the floor. FRIDAY cuts the music. "Ah, shit!" Harley says as Peter's body lands on his. "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry, Harley! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Peter rambles, lifting himself up slightly to not keep all of his weight on the boy beneath him. "No worries, Baby. I'm fine. Are you alright?" Peter blushes and stands, helping Harley up. "Are you boys okay?" Mama Pepper flutters around them. "We're fine, Potts." Harley says dusting himself off. Ned and MJ are standing behind the couch trying to suppress their giggles. "Hey, let's see you guys try it." Harley calls. Ned puts his hands up in defense, still smiling. "I'm good, man." "I don't need to prove anything to you." MJ adds. Abbie is the only one guffawing at the scene before here. "Hey, quit laughing, squirt!" Harley calls. His sister sticks her tongue out at him. "Oh man, that was hilarious!" Tony ruffles both boys' hair. "No more impromptu lifts, kiddos. Although you've got some moves, Keener." "Don't look so surprised, Tin Can Man." Harley snorts. "Let's get back to the movies." He says as they settle back down. Peter follows Harley back to the loveseat and just manages to hold in a squeal when Harley pulls him onto his lap. "Hope you don't mind, darlin'." Peter is too flustered to make any words come out of his mouth but he gives him a shy smile. Tony catches Harley’s eye with a raised eye brow but says nothing, wrapping his own arms around Pepper.

They powered through a few more with a minimal number of pauses for bathroom breaks and food. Maid in Manhattan, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Fifty First Dates. (Tony and Pepper seriously underestimated how many movies these kids could watch in a day) It all came to a head when The Notebook began to play. It was extremely late (or ridiculously early) Abbie was shooed off to bed by Pepper before the last movie. Everyone else is asleep except for Peter and Harley, who are just barely awake. Peter is cuddled up to Harley, hands clutching the sweatshirt and eyes hooded with sleep, while Harley was wrapped around the smaller boy. They stay tucked together under a large blanket, not moving until the end of the movie. “Do you think you’ll ever have a love like that?” Peter asks dreamily as the final shot of the movie plays, snuggling closer. “I hope so.” Harley tucks him in closer and breathes in the intoxicating scent that is Peter Parker. “Me too.” Peter says with a wide yawn. He moves his head to look up at Harley and smiles sleepily. “Good night, Harley.” He says and he plants a small kiss on his cheek just before he drifts off to sleep. Harley’s surprised expression goes unnoticed and he zones out for a minute before his own sleepy smile spreads on his face. “Maybe I found it. Good night, sweetheart.” With a soft kiss on Peter’s head, Harley settles down to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony knows what's up. 
> 
> So I love rom-coms and chick flicks and all the movies I mentioned are on my guilty pleasures list, but my absolute favorite one is Forgetting Sarah Marshall. :P
> 
> I promise the story is gonna pick up a bit in the coming chapters! And let's hope that my writers' block goes away!
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA <3


	8. I've Got You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mechanics? Easy. Feelings for a boy you might (really) like? Hard. 
> 
> What does one do about that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! 
> 
> Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's celebration!
> 
> I've got so many ideas for this fic and for other fics that I'm planning on writing but I should probably finish this one first. I've been known to just jump from project to project without really following through so part of my New Year's Resolution is to stay on track with this story and finish it by summer. (*fingers crossed*) It's gonna be a long ride but I hope you enjoy the journey!
> 
> If you made a resolution then I hope you work hard at it and stick to it! 
> 
> Enjoy another chapter! It's a bit longer then the others but I couldn't really stop myself.

That first guilty pleasure movie marathon marked the beginning of Harley’s journey of introspection. He’s a mechanic, so machines made logical sense. Feelings and people? Not so much. He spent time every day trying to parse out what he felt for Peter. After the cheek kiss that night, Harley felt something blossom in him. Or maybe it had always been there, growing and it finally bloomed into this overwhelmingly beautiful flower of warmth. It might be a bit on the poetic side but it was true. He felt it grow every time Peter smiled at him, every time he laughed, or held his hand or even looked his way. He felt his heart skip a beat when those warm brown eyes zeroed in on him. It consumed him, this feeling, and it scares him, but he isn’t entirely sure he wants it to go away. On the other hand, if it does consume him, what becomes of Harley Keener? 

One day in the lab, Tony notices his introspection and confronts him. “Earth to Keener.” He calls, waving his hands in front of him. “Huh?” Harley was so deep in his head that he didn’t see or hear Tony calling him. “You’ve been quiet.” His eyes narrow. “Too quiet. I hope you’re not planning another messy prank ‘cause I still find glitter in here.” Harley laughs. “Glitter lives forever.” “Ugh, then I’m banning it from the Tower.” Scoffs Tony. “Now let me ask you a question.” His tone turns serious. “What’s up with you and Peter and why are you so stuck in your head?” Harley holds his gaze for a moment, then looks away. “I- I don’t know.” He’s never really had anyone to talk to about this before. Sure, Abbie would listen but she’s 12. She already saw him break down once after that summer dance and she doesn’t need to hear all of her older brother’s woes about love. _Is this love?_ “When we’re together, it’s like fireworks and I feel like we just… fit. But I can’t tell if it’s just him being wonderful, because he just is, or if I’m imagining it. Maybe It's just because I'm in a new place or because I've never had a boyfriend or a crush or even a friend for that matter. Or what if- what if what happened in Rose Hill happens again? What if this big ass fucking city is still too fucking small?” He doesn’t really know how he’s managing to get all of this out. He hates feeling vulnerable and it’s starting to make his skin itch. But here, in the lab with Tony, it feels like the safest place he’s ever been. Surrounded by machines and tools and a mechanic. 

He paces through his rant, finally turning to Tony once it’s over and as soon as it is, the older man hugs him. Harley immediately wraps his arms tight around Tony and breathes in his scent to calm himself down. Metal and grease and coffee. It’s comforting. “He’s so... _good_.” He says after a few minutes of just being held. “I can see his whole future ahead of him and it’s so bright! He deserves someone that can just be more. Someone brilliant. Someone- someone a hundred times better than me.” Tony shushes him gently and cups the back of his head. “So, I’m not good at this whole 'comforting'... thing.” Tony starts after a while. “But I know you, and I know Peter and you’re right. Peter _is_ just so good. He’s smart and funny and he cares so much and he’s so much more than I ever could be.” He pulls away just enough to look Harley in his face. “And so are you.” Harley wants to argue but Tony’s tone of voice gives no room for it. “You, Harley Keener, have gone through so much, grown so fast, and worked so hard to become the incredible person you are today. You deserve happiness.” 

After another reassuring squeeze, Harley pulls away and slumps into a nearby stool. “Thanks, Tony.” He says sincerely. One tear manages to escape, and he quickly wipes it away. “You’re not so bad at this comforting thing ya know?” Tony huffs in amusement. “Huh, I am pretty good, aren’t I?” “Don’t let this go to your head, Megamind. It’s already too big.” Harley says, feeling loads better than before. “You know what, Keener?” Tony points an accusing finger at him. “We were having a great moment and you just had to ruin it. I thought we were connected.” They laugh and joke for a while until Peter comes around and for a moment, Harley is almost happy for all the stupid shit that happened to him. 

After hours of working in the lab, Peter's falling asleep at his station, head drooping every now and then. He had been working for a couple of hours after coming back from an "errand" with sweat on his brow and a small limp. Tony had left to go see Pepper an hour ago about some SI conference in Europe, so it was just the two of them in the lab. Harley simply sighed. "Come, on sleepyhead." He coaxes a barely awake Peter out of the lab. "Time to hit the hay." The shorter boy didn't protest and slowly followed Harley out of the lab. "What do you do all day to make you this tired, darlin'?" He asks as they make their way to Peter's room. "No need to worry about me, cowboy." Peter said with a sleepy smile. "Nothing a good night's sleep will fix." They say their goodnights and Harley yawns. _I should probably get some z’s too._ He thinks and he heads to his room just across the hall.

This was pretty normal for a weekend, Peter just staying over. "It's mostly when May's got night shifts." Peter admits one day. "I don’t like being uh, I mean, she doesn't like leaving me alone in the apartment too many nights in a row." Harley catches the slip up but says nothing of it. Instead he relishes the fact that the two of them can stay up all night in each other’s company.  
"Excuse me Mr. Keener." FRIDAY's concerned voice calls. Harley rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He's only been asleep for about 3 hours according to the clock on his nightstand. "Yeah? What's up, FRI?" "It seems Mr. Parker is in distress." Now, that he's more awake, he can hear some muffled screams coming from down the hall. "Shit." He scrambles out of bed and goes to Peter's room.  
Once inside, he can see the other boy twisting and turning in his bed screaming out words every so often. "No, Ben!" He's sweating so much and sobbing. "Skip get off- I can't- I can't-" Harley moves to the bed and sits near Peter's head. "Pete? Wake up. It's just a dream." Peter's eyes are shut tight. "Come on, honey." Harley starts running his hand through the boy's hair. "You're alright. You're safe." Suddenly, Peter jerks awake, eyes wide and frantically looking around. "Hey, hey." Harley says softly. He puts both of his hands on Peter's shoulders. Peter's gasping for breath as he tries to focus on something, anything, and the terrified look on his face makes Harley’s heart clench. "H-Harley?" He asks. "Yep. It's me darlin'." Peter launches himself at him and Harley catches him easily in a warm embrace. They shift so Harley is sitting with his back against the headboard and Peter is basically laying on top of him. Harley's rubbing Peter's back as he tries to get his breathing under control. "Do you want to talk about it?" Peter's whole body is trembling, but Harley can feel the small shake of his head against his chest. "Alright then." Harley leans his head against Peter's. "I've got you." 

\----

Harley blinks his eyes against the sun streaming into the room. _Where am I?_ he thinks. There's a warmth around his waist and when he looks down, Peter is snuggled up next to him with his head on Harley's chest. His arm is neatly tucked under Peter’s head and he can’t help but trail his eyes over the handsome features of Peter’s face. His brown curls frame his head like a halo and all Harley can think is how beautiful and amazing it would be to wake up next to him every day. He presses a soft kiss to the top of Peter’s head. “Can I keep you?” he murmurs, after which the sleeping boy starts to stir.

As Peter slowly comes to awareness, the first thing he notices is that he slept great. The next thing he notices is that he is not alone in his bed which would usually put his senses on high alert but for whatever reason, they aren’t. He doesn’t open his eyes yet, but he can smell motor oil and roses. It’s comforting and it feels like home. He pulls whomever he is currently cuddling closer, his body just naturally reacting when the person speaks. “Didn’t take you for a snuggler, darlin’ but I ain’t complainin’.” Harley says, his southern accent thick with sleep. “At least your bed is bigger than the living room couch.” Wide brown eyes meet blue hooded ones as Peter looks up at his bedmate. “Hi.” He says sleepily. “How’re you feelin’, sweetheart?” The nickname rolls off Harley’s tongue and Peter can feel the blush creeping in. “Better with you here.” Peter’s feeling flirty this morning despite the rough night he had and Harley’s face breaks out into a smile. “Good. You had me worried there last night.” Peter ducks his head down, breaking eye contact. “Sorry, bout that.” “No need to apologize and we don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready. We all get nightmares and they fuckin’ suck.” Harley runs his hand through Peter’s hair. “I’m glad I was here to help.” “Me too.” 

When they finally get up, it's well past noon and Harley announces that neither of them is working in the lab today. "Harley, Mr. Stark's got me working on this sorta time sensitive project thingy." Peter says. "And he isn't here." Harley argues back. "FRIDAY? Can you tell Tony that we're slumming it today?" "Of course, Mr. Keener." He tugs Peter along with him to the kitchen. "Besides, I haven't had the chance to make my world-famous pancakes for you." 

While Harley starts making breakfast ("Is it really breakfast, princess?" "Yes, Parker, it's breakfast because we just woke up now shut up and hand me the whisk."), Peter sits on the counter. Their conversation is easy, and the flirting comes naturally making both boys blush. Harley's mixing the batter when Peter swipes a finger and licks it. "Mmmm." He moans. "How come uncooked batter just tastes awesome?" He's licking another finger of batter when he meets Harley's eyes. They're trained on his lips. Suddenly, Peter notices how close they are. How the sunlight makes Harley's eyes shine bright. How the neck of his worn tee shirt is loose enough to show off a well-defined collarbone that Peter wants to lick. How his leg is plastered against Harley's and how, if Harley moves one step over, he'll be in between Peter's legs. "Peter..." Harley's voice trails off and god does his name sound like honey from his lips. Peter starts to lean forward, eyes darting to Harley's full lips.

"Ahem." 

Both boys break apart as quickly as possible. Peter jumps off the counter wildly, which means that the bowl of batter is now upturned and on the floor. Harley whips his hand up, holding the whisk like a sword which also means that there's batter on Peter too. Abbie is standing in the kitchen with a smug little smile and her hip cocked out. "Good morning." she says a little too sweetly. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything." She snickers behind her hand. Harley's shooting her death glares and Peter is hoping that the blush on his face isn't as red as he feels (it is). "What do you want, squirt?" Harley asks, barely containing his mood. "Relax, big bro." she says moving towards the fridge. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be staying over at Maggie's today. Pepper and Tony know." She grabs a breakfast smoothie and starts to leave. "You know you really should be eating a better breakfast, Abs." She waves at him dismissively. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Go back to making kissy faces at each other." "Abbie!" "I'm 12, not stupid." And then she's gone. 

Harley's afraid to turn around and he can feel his ears getting hot. "Uh, sorry about her." He starts to clean up the mess. "You know Abbie, spouting nonsense. She's nuts." Peter isn't saying anything. "Pete?" Peter is standing ramrod straight and then he's off. "I'm sorry, Harles." he says. "I-I gotta go. Raincheck on the pancakes?" Harley stares into those big brown doe eyes and hopes his face isn't showing how sad he feels. "Uh, yeah sure." "I'm really sorry, Harley." "Don't sweat it, darlin'. I'll still be here." He says, trying not to let his disappointment show in his voice. And then he's alone in the kitchen, cleaning up pancake batter. 

Once he's done, he grabs a granola bar and goes to the lab. "Hey Fri?" "Yes, Keenster." He looked up at the ceiling. "Did Tony tell you to call me that?" "That would be correct." And Harley sighs. "Tell him I said that his nicknames are getting old like him." "I'll be sure to pass along the message." There's a hint of amusement in FRIDAY's voice. "Anything else you need?" she asked. "Oh, uh, can you also ask Tony when he needs that upgrade I was working on?" 

The lab is lonely now, even with the bots buzzing around him and it's getting harder to focus on the work when all he can think about is how cute Peter looked while he was asleep. Or how easy it was to talk to him. Or how much he wanted to kiss those pink lips. Or how he wanted to know what Peter felt like on his skin. "Ugh." Harley threw the wrench across the workbench, the sound of it clattering on the floor startled DUM-E. "Sorry, DUM-E" He says patting the robot. He scrubs a hand over his face. He looks at the clock and it's already 7pm. "I need to get some air." He says to the empty lab and his stomach growls. "And some food." 

As Harley's walking back from one of the hole-in-the-wall Chinese joints near the tower, he's still lost in his thoughts about Peter. He's so in his head that he almost doesn't hear it when someone calls out to him. "Hey, you're that Stark kid right?" Harley ignores him but then there's a large man in front of him. "My buddy is talking to you." The man says. Harley backs up a step and the two men walk towards him. "So what if I am. What's it to you?" "Oh nothing, just wondering how much Stark'll pay for his little brat." At that, Harley turns to run but there's another man behind him who knocks the wind out of him. He gasps but collects himself and starts to fight back. He gets a lucky hit on the first thug's face. "Ah fuck!" the man stumbles back. "What the fuck are you idiots doing?!" he yells. "Get him in the fucking van." Harley's grabbed by the two larger men and he's flailing and screaming for help. Suddenly, there's a sharp pinch in his neck. He feels woozy for a moment and his vision starts to black out. "Nighty-night." says the first man, in a sing-song voice. He feels himself being manhandled and thrown into a van and then nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are happening!!
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA <3


	9. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter are trying not to panic but Harley is still sassy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello! 
> 
> Welcome to another Monday chapter!
> 
> This New Year is starting out weird and my writer's block is hitting hard. Hopefully I can get out of this funk and stay ahead of my updates. 
> 
> Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

A couple of minor robberies and muggings really ruined Peter’s day. There’s a commotion over on the next block so, he swings towards it, landing silently behind the thieves who are yelling at the cashier. “You know,” He starts, and the masked men turn to face him. “Slim Jims and Doritos really aren’t all that expensive.” Then he shoots his webs at the hands of two of the men. The third man charges at him and with a knife and he dodges and webs him up too. With the three men unable to use their hands, he gathers them up and webs them together. The cashier is smiling, “Thanks Spider-Man.” “Any time!” He gives the man a mock salute and tells him to call the police. “Have a good night, guys.” And he swings away. He lands on top of one of the nearby buildings and sits on the edge, admiring the sunset.

This morning (well, afternoon really) was going great up until his Spidey-sense went off. They were having such a domestic start to the day and it felt so… right. _Why did it feel so right? Why is it that every time he’s anywhere remotely close to Harley, his heart starts beating faster? Why does he want to wake up to that warm, sunny face every morning? Why does he want to know what it feels like to run his hands through that sandy blonde hair? Why does he feel so drawn to him? And why does he want to know what his lips feel like against his own?_ Peter shakes his head and sighs. “Hey Karen?” “Yes, Peter.” “Can you send a text to Ned and MJ for me?” “Of course.”

 **pbandslay:** guys I have a problem  
**guyinchair:** whats up man  
**fuckoff:** just start dating him already  
**pbandslay:** howd u kno I was gonna talk abt Harley?!?!@?!  
**fuckoff:** I kno everything  
**fuckoff:** also u guys have been mooning over each other for 2 months now  
**guyinchair:** ^^^  
**pbandslay:** ok but like how tho  
**fuckoff:** smh peter just ask him out  
**fuckoff:** hes gonna say yes  
**guyinchair:** dude u got this  
**pbandslay:** ok thx for the vote of confidence but he’s Harley and im me  
**guyinchair:** peter ur awesome bro  
**guyinchair:** hes totally into u so just go for it  
**pbandslay:** but wht abt the whole spiderman thing  
**fuckoff:** u'll tell him when u think it’s the right time  
**fuckoff:** in the meantime don’t deny yourself happiness  
**pbandslay:** thx MJ

He’s smiling at the conversation through the HUD in his mask when a Red Alert message is displayed on his screen. “Karen? What’s going on?” Suddenly a video chat of Tony flashes in. “Pete! Something's happened to Harley.” “What!?” “I gave him and Abbie watches that they wear at all times. They monitor vitals and Harley’s heart rate spiked and then dropped low and I can’t track it.” Peter could feel a pit in his stomach. “I’m trying to get out of here as quickly as possible, so I’ll need you to get Abbie and meet me at the Tower okay?” “Of course!” He could feel his own heart beating faster as he jumped off the roof and headed to Abbie. 

He stopped on a fire escape of a small apartment building and knocked on the window. A girl opened it. “Oh my god. You’re Spider-Man!” She squealed. “Yeah I am, and I really need to get Abbie Keener.” The girl stepped aside, and Abbie appeared beside her. “Hi! Uh I’m Spiderman and I need to take you back to Stark Tower.” “Not that I don’t want to go with you but why?” She asked arms crossed. Peter really wanted to just grab her and go. “Listen, Mr. Sta- I mean Tony called me and said something happened with your brother and he's gonna meet you back at the tower.” Her face fell at the mention of her brother and she climbed out the window. “Let’s go.” He picked her up. “Hold on tight.” 

Tony made it back to the Tower in record time, thankful that he brought a suit everywhere he went. When he enters the penthouse, he sees Spider-Man sitting with a distraught Abigail Keener on the couch. As soon as she sees him, Abbie’s running toward him. “What happened to Harley? Where is he?” she cried, tears welling in her eyes. Tony steps out of his suit. “I don’t know but I’m gonna find out. Pepper will be here in a few hours okay?” She nods and goes back to the couch. “Spider-Man, stay with her until Miss Potts get here.” Tony starts to retreat to his lab. “When she does, I need you in my lab.”

\----

Harley wakes with a groan. He’s sitting on a very uncomfortable chair with his arms tied to the arms of the chair. He tries to stretch out his legs and realizes that they’re strapped to the chair as well and his head is a foggy mess. “Boss, he’s awake.” A gruff voice from somewhere in the room says. Harley’s too disoriented to figure out where it’s coming from, so he opens his eyes slowly. He’s in a dark room that smells like gasoline and rust. The voice he heard was from one of the thugs that stuffed him in the van. There are a couple of hanging exposed light bulbs around the space and he can hear the sound of a metal sliding door followed by three pairs of footsteps. The figures come into the light and he sees the man that taunted him from earlier and the other guy that took him. Between them is a fierce looking woman with long, dark hair and piercing eyes. “Now then,” she starts, voice dripping with false camaraderie. “It’s nice of you to join us, Mr. Keener.” 

“Didn’t know I was coming.” He says, “Must’ve lost my invite.” She doesn’t look impressed. “By the way, if you really wanted to talk to me, Sweet Cheeks, I’m pretty sure there are better ways of getting in touch.” He smirks at her and doesn’t see the punch coming. “Ugh.” He spits out some blood and then looks at the guy. “That all you got, Tiny?” There’s blood in his teeth as he smiles at him. “My sister punches harder and she's 12.” That earns him another punch. _Man I am definitely gonna feel that tomorrow._ He thinks as he spits out more blood. The woman signals the man to move back and stalks toward him. “Listen here you little bastard.” She’s at eye level with him now. “Here’s how this is going to go. You’re gonna be the star of our little movie that we’re gonna send to your sugar daddy and he’s gonna make us rich.” Harley wants to kick the smile off her face. “You monologue like you’re a fuckin' movie villain but I've seen better.” She slaps him. “You know what? Maybe after this Stark’ll just throw you back to the shithole you came from? Can’t have a weak link, can he?” Harley spits in her face and she shrieks. “Shut him up!” She orders as she wipes her face and one of the men duct tapes his mouth. “Let’s get started.”

\----

Tony and Peter were hacking away, scouring FRIDAY's constant collection of data when they saw it. "Boss! There's an encrypted transmission being sent to Ms. Potts." Both men freeze. "Pull it up FRI." They both gasp when the holoscreen pops up. 

Harley was bound to a chair with duct tape over his mouth. There was blood trickling from a cut on his cheek and a rapidly darkening bruise over one of his eyes. Two large men stood behind him but the lighting in the room wasn't bright enough to distinguish any features. "Well, well, well." A woman's sickeningly sweet voice sounded. "Looks like I've got something of yours, Mr. Stark." The woman in question stayed out of frame but another man appeared holding a night stick. "FRIDAY, track this video now." "I'm trying Boss, but the signal encryption keeps changing." There's a note of panic in her voice. Peter's holding his breath and his eyes are glued to the screen. "If you want your little charity case back, prepare $500 million in cash. More information will follow in 2 hours." The man with the night stick stepped closer to Harley. "If you don't comply, we'll send this little shit back to you in a body bag." With that, the man whacked Harley in the stomach, causing him to groan and curl his body forward. "See you soon." 

Peter finally let out the breath he was holding and Tony looked like he was going to flip a table. "Anything, FRI?" He says, barely holding in his anger. His grip on the workbench is so tight that his knuckles are white. "Sorry, Boss, I've only got it narrowed down to somewhere in New York state." Suddenly, Pepper enters the lab, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Tony-" she starts and the genius catches her shoulders. "Where's Abbie?" he asks. "I told Happy to stay with her in her room when the video came in." She melts into Tony's arms. "We have to find him." Ever since the Mandarin incident, Tony rambled on and on about "that damn smart kid from Tennessee." When he brought Harley and Abbie to the Tower, Pepper's mama bear instincts kicked in and she worked hard to keep the haunted look in their eyes away.

Peter isn't faring much better than Pepper. His eyes are welling with tears and his jaw is tightening. His hands flex around the Spider-Man mask. His stomach turns at the thought of Harley getting hurt and it took all of his willpower to push down the wave of nausea that washed over him when the man started to beat his Harley. _His Harley?_ "Boss!" FRIDAY starts. All three of them look up at the holomap projection. "I've found them." Tony runs towards his suit. "Fri, get the Bleeding Edge armor ready." "I'm coming too." Peter says putting his mask back on but Tony turns and stops him with a hand on his chest. "Absolutely not." "But-" "No buts, kid. I can't have you getting anywhere near these guys." Peter pushes his and away. "Mr. Stark, I have to help." Peter says. "I have to help Harley." Even with the mask on, Tony can tell how sincere he is. He can hear the panic and desperation. "If I say no, you're just gonna follow me anyway." He sighs. "Fine. But you come as back up and listen to whatever I say, got it?" Peter nods. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ned and MJ are bros and Harley's never-ending wit is so fun.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> -PA <3


	10. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter rush to save Harley. When they arrive, they don't like what they see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! It's Monday again and here's another chapter!
> 
> I think my writer's block is definitely going away which is great because I have so many ideas that I want to put into this story so.. yay! 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

Harley's stomach aches from that hit. He looks up at the man defiantly. _That all you got?_ He thinks. The man seems to either read his mind or just take offense at being looked at because the next thing Harley feels is a hit to the stomach followed by another one to the head. "Hey boss?" the man asks, "Can't we just kill him now?" The woman simply saunters over to them. There's a gun holster on her hip that she's starting to fidget with. "Hmm. Not yet." she decides. "I want Stark to know what it feels like to lose." Harley's hands and feet are going numb and his focus is wavering. Those hits to the face really did a number on him and he's breathing heavily but he makes eye contact with the woman. She smirks and turns to leave. “You,” she says to one of the men behind her. “Come with me. And you two, make sure he doesn’t get any ideas.” Harley rolls his eyes. _I’m literally strapped to this chair. How the fuck am I supposed to escape?_ The man notices and whacks him in the face with the stick. Harley can feel a welt forming and there are tears in his eyes. The two men left in the room are eyeing him and they’re not in Harley’s immediate field of vision which makes him uneasy. “You know,” The man with the night stick (who Harley dubs Stickman. _Yeah super creative but he’s been hit in the head a few times. Give him a break._ ) says. “I’ve got a couple of ideas of my own.” The man behind him (nicknamed SST for strong silent type _Again, not his best but it's hard to think of funny names when his head's been messed with._ ) grunts in response. Stickman places the night stick on a nearby table and pulls out a knife. Harley can see SST to the right of him and he’s holding a cattle prod. “Let’s have some fun shall we.”

\-----

The flight to the location isn’t long but it feels like forever. Peter is pacing and his anxiety is rising. _What if we don’t get there in time?_ No, he can’t think like that. They have to get there in time. He has to tell Harley how he feels. Peter's so lost in thought that he almost doesn't notice that they're slowing down. Tony lands the jet in a clearing about a mile away from the location. Together, the two heroes make their way to the warehouse where Harley was being kept. As they creep closer however, Peter tenses. "Mr. Stark, I can hear him." The look of horror and pain on Peter's face twists Tony's heart. "Okay, okay come on, Pete." Tony says as he places his hands on the teen’s shoulders. "Stay focused, alright? We need to plan this out first." Though Tony can’t see Peter’s face through the mask, he can almost picture the distant gaze and terrified expression. "They're hurting him, Mr. Stark! They're hurting him bad." Peter starts to hyperventilate. "Pete, come on. You have to focus." Somehow, Peter snapped out of his trance. "I need get to him, Mr. Stark." He says defiantly. "Okay, hold on a second. Karen, activate Peeping Tom and FRIDAY connect to the feed." The spider emblem on Peter's chest beeps and detaches, forming a small drone with miniaturized helicarrier technology. It flies up and towards the warehouse. Both Peter and Tony are watching what the drone is filming and soon they catch sight of Harley, who was looking much worse than when they last saw him. 

The spider drone moves closer, zooming in, and Peter can see gashes along Harley's arms and face and burn marks on his chest as well. His shirt is torn to shreds. His breathing is shallow and he's making soft whimpers and groans from the pain. One of the men around him chuckles as he moves to carve Harley's chest again. Tony and Peter gasp as they take in the sight and hear his grunt of pain. "We have to go in now!" Peter whimpers. "They're torturing him!" He jumps into action and Tony isn't fast enough to stop him. 

Peter blasts forward shooting his webs. He swings up to a high window and looks down to see the men and Harley. Unbridled rage flows through him. "Hey!" He calls and the thugs look up. There's another moment before Harley's head lolls to the side and Spider-Man catches Harley’s swollen gaze. “Why can’t you guys pick on someone your own size?” Not his best line but he’s too busy worrying about how much of Harley's blood is pouring out onto the floor at the moment. He swings down so fast that one of the men doesn’t have time to register what’s happening before Peter kicks his head. He hits the ground hard and the second man is lunging at him. Peter dodges and punches the man in the side. The man is sturdy so the hit doesn’t take him down too much. He's big but he moves quickly, grabbing one of Peter’s hands before he can get hit again. 

Harley’s vision is swimming but he swears he can see Spider-Man up in the rafters coming to save him. _Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man._ He’s smiling softly as the red and blue figure in front of him jumps from left to right, trading blows with SST. He takes a deep breath and groans, feeling every bit of the “fun” that his less than pleasant companions have given him. Unfortunately, it seems like Spidey got distracted by the noise and hesitates, giving SST the opening he needs to take him down. “No.” Harley says weakly. The goons had ripped the duct tape off his mouth earlier to ‘hear his pretty little screams.’ Suddenly, the whine of repulsors echoes loudly in the warehouse and the door blasts open. In flies Iron Man. “Alright party’s over.” From the other side of the room, more armed men file in, aiming for the flying hero. Spider-Man makes quick work of SST and joins Iron Man in picking off the other men in the room. 

The fight continues with Iron Man and Spider-Man slowly overpowering the numerous men. Harley’s still out of it but he can tell that their numbers are dwindling. There’s only two or three guys taking on both heroes. _Tony and Spider-Man are gonna save me._ He thinks. His growing smile instantly fades when he feels someone yank his hair back. “Everybody stop!” The woman from before is standing behind Harley and she’s holding a gun to his temple. He hisses in pain and sees both Iron Man and Spider-Man freeze. Spider-Man gets knocked down and held to the ground. Iron Man lands a few yards away from the woman and Harley. “You don’t have to do this, lady.” Tony says. His puts his hands up defensively but the woman just pulls Harley’s hair tighter. “This is what’s going to happen now.” The lady says. “You’re gonna surrender and get us the money that we asked for and maybe, just maybe, I let your little brat go.” She clicks the safety off the gun. “Got it?” 

Iron Man lands and retracts his helmet. “Just let the kid and Spider-Man go, and we can work this whole thing out.” He’s slowly walking towards her, hands up defensively. Peter tries to move but his suit is stiff. “Karen?” he asks softly, trying not to alert the man holding him down. “What’s going on? Why can’t I move?” “Mr. Stark has activated the Straitjacket Protocol on your suit. You will not be able to move until Mr. Stark says so.” “What!? But what if he needs help?” “I’m sorry, Peter, but I cannot override this protocol.” Peter groans and the man above him pins him to the ground harder. “Don’t try anything, Spider-Man.” He warns.

Tony’s gotten really close to Harley and the woman. She doesn’t back down. Instead, she aims the gun at the floor right in front of Tony and shoots right next to Harley’s ear. Harley screams in pain as he feels his eardrum burst. “That’s close enough Stark.” Says the woman and Tony freezes, eyes flaring in anger. “You know what I want.” “Yeah well, that might take some time so why don’t you just let them go.” Tony says. “And lose my leverage? I’m not a fucking idiot, Stark.” Tony pauses. “FRIDAY?” “Yes, Boss?” “ETA on the payload?” “About 30 seconds.” Tony nods. “See? 30 seconds and this is all over.” The woman’s eyes narrow and she aims the gun back at Harley. “We’ll see about that.” Suddenly, Peter hears something coming towards them and fast. He looks up and War Machine bursts through the roof with small projectiles that target the thugs and the woman. She gets knocked out but fires off one shot, into Harley’s leg. Rhodey lands behind Harley as he screams in pain and Tony deactivates the Straitjacket Protocol so Peter can help get Harley out of the chair. “Thanks, Rhodey.” “Anytime, Tones. Now let’s get this kid back to the Tower.”

Harley is in and out of consciousness in the jet. From what he can tell, Tony and Rhodey ( _Wait when did Rhodey get here?_ ) are bandaging him up and Spider-Man is lurking behind them. “Come on, Harley. You gotta stay awake kiddo.” Tony says. “We’re almost at the tower.” Harley groans and raises his head to see what hurts so much but all he sees is blood. _Blood._ So much _blood_. The sight of it causes a wave of nausea to hit him. He tries to lift his arm and winces in pain, which cause his him to groan even more. Just before he blacks out, he hears a familiar voice cry his name. 

\-----

When Harley wakes up, all he sees is too bright lights and he groans. "FRIDAY, lights at 30%." He opens his eyes again to a dimmer room and a figure pops into his vision. "Harley?" He sees brown curls that frame a pale face. Brown concerned eyes meet his blue ones and for a moment, Harley swears it's an angel. He focuses his gaze more and calls out, "Pter?" His voice is raspy and his throat feels like he swallowed a porcupine. "W-'re m I?" Peter holds his hand and Harley relishes the soft skin against his calloused hands. "You're in the med bay at the Tower. Mr. Stark and Mr. Rhodes left a little while ago to get some food. They should be back soon." He feels a reassuring squeeze on his hand and he tries to squeeze back with whatever strength he's got. "Wha- hapned?" He slurs. He keeps his eyes focused on Peter and, as his vision clears, sees the red rims around his eyes, his disheveled hair that looks like he'd been running his hand through it too many times, and his rumpled clothes. "You were jumped outside of the tower. Do you remember that?" Harley nods slowly, wary of his injuries. "They-" Peter's voice catches. "The people that took you, they hurt you. Real bad." A single tear falls. "When I saw you, I thought--" He trails off looking away and takes a deep breath. "You looked so--" "Hey." Harley says, bringing Peter's focus back to him. "'m fine." He gives the boy a small smile. "Spder-Man nd Irn Man saved me nd y're here wi- me. 'm good." Peter smiles wetly and Harley drifts off to sleep, painkillers and antibiotics taking over. "I can't lose you, Harles." Peter says to his sleeping form. He puts both hands on Harley's hand and rubs soothing circles on Harley's wrist. 

Half an hour later, Tony and Rhodey are back with takeout and a sad, but relieved Abigail Keener. Peter is still holding Harley's hand and Abbie runs to the other side of the bed, reaching for the other one. "Hey, Pete?" Says Tony but the boy didn't move, didn't even acknowledge that there were others in the room. He just kept his gaze fixed on Harley's sleeping form. Tony and Rhodey look at each other. "Kid?" Rhodey tried. Nothing. Tony places his hand on Peter's shoulder, causing the teen to jump. "Whoa, it's just us, Petey." He looks around finally realizing he's not alone in the room. "Oh, hi Mr. Stark." Peter says, quietly and not at all like his usual chipper greeting. It's like he's come out of a trance. "Harley just went to sleep." He turns to look at the sleeping boy once again and then sees Abbie. “Abbie." He breathes. "Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.” The girl looks up at Peter. “It’s not your fault, Pete.” “But I should have been with him! I had to leave and I left him alone.” Tears start to form in his eyes and Abbie reaches a small hand over Harley to comfort him. “It’s not your fault. And I think it would be even worse if you got hurt too, Spider-Man.” Peter looks surprised and opens his mouth to refute it but Abbie stops him. “Again I’m 12 not stupid.” She gives him a small smile and his hand a squeeze. “Thank you for saving him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! He's safe! 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> -PA <3


	11. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley's feeling a bit better, but Peter's still beating himself up for it. Maybe Harley can talk some sense into him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! Another Monday update! *woot*
> 
> First of all, thank you so much for over 200 kudoses (never figured out the plural...)!! I'm so happy that people are following this story as it comes together.
> 
> Secondly, I think my writer's block is gone for the most part. I'm still figuring out what ideas I want to use for this arc but I have an end goal so that's always a plus. It's trying to break up the story and finding the 'pit stops' that really stumps me sometimes.
> 
> Again thanks for reading and following this story!
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!

When Harley wakes up, he hears the rustling of papers and soft taps on a tablet. He opens eyes slowly and sees Pepper sitting at a table near his bed. "Ugh, Pep?" He mumbles. Pepper's head shoots up and meets Harley's gaze. With a soft smile she makes her way to the bed and perches on the edge, taking hold of Harley's hand. "Hey, sweetie." she says as she brushes a curl away from his forehead. "How are you feeling?" "Like a tractor ran me over a couple times." He says. "Glad to hear your brain's still working fine." Pepper giggles. "How long was I out?" Pepper's face falls a little. "A few days. You really took a beating there, Harley." she sighs. "We were all terrified." "Where's Tony?" he asks, voice raspy. "Where do you think he is?" Harley thought for a moment. "How long has he been down there?" "Too long, but I told FRIDAY to call him once you woke up." Within a minute, Tony's bursting into the room. "Hey, Harles. How are you?" He says uncharacteristically quietly. There's a concerned look in his eyes. "I'm fine, Dad." It slips out before he can stop it and he's starting to panic but Tony simply chuckles. "You're already my kid, Harley. You and Abbie both." He says, making his way to the other side of the bed. "We were so worried about you." Harley huffs in relief. "Well, I'm here now thanks to you and Spider-Man." The three sit in silence, enjoying each other's company. "I'm surprised you're taking this 'dad' comment so well." Tony shrugs. "It's probably gonna hit me later but for now let's worry about you." A nod. "Where's Abbie?" "School." Pepper answers. "We had to force her to go this morning. She wanted to skip another day and stay with you." "Good. She shouldn't be missin’ school ‘cause of me." He groans as he tries to sit up but Tony gently stops him. "Whoa there. You're still pretty hurt." With minimal complaints, Harley lets himself get settled on the bed. "Abbie will be here soon."

After about an hour of chatting with Tony and Pepper, the door to his room opens and Abigail Keener sprints in. "Harley! You're awake!" Tony and Pepper make room for the excited girl who practically jumps into the bed, hugging Harley. He hides his wincing but hugs his sister back as tight as he can. "Hang on there, Short Stuff." Tony chides. "He's still injured." "Oh yeah. Sorry!" Abbie says as she lets go. "I'm just happy you're awake." The rest of the day goes by quickly with Abbie chattering away about school and her friends. Pepper left at one point saying something about some 'dumb board meeting' and Rhodey replaced her, walking in with take out. Tony stayed the whole time, pulling a chair up close to Harley and propping his feet up on the bed. "Hey!" Harley scolds. "Get your feet off, old man! This is my bed." "Yeah well, this is my room, my medical wing, my tower so I do what I want." Tony retorts, sticking his tongue out. "I swear, you're 12, Tones." Rhodey says exasperatedly. "You wound me, Honeybear!" Abbie and Harley sit back and giggle at them.

After finishing dinner and chatting for a while, Tony shuffles a disgruntled Abbie off to her bedroom. "You have school tomorrow, Squirt." he says as she crosses her arms but follows him out of the room. "I'll be right here waitin' for you Abs." Harley smiles and she waves back at him. "How are you really feeling, Keener?" Rhodey asks, leg braces gleaming in the low light of the room. Harley sighs, "Let's just say that I'm glad that painkillers were invented." Rhodey takes a seat on the bed but there's a memory poking at the back of Harley's mind. "Hey, Rhodey, is Spider-Man okay? He helped save me right?" Rhodey chuckles. "Yeah he did and he's fine. He was real worried too but, Spidey was a bit reckless so Tony called me to help." Harley's heart warmed at the thought of Spider-Man trying to save him. “Where’s Peter?” he asks. “He was here when you woke up the first time, do you remember?” He shakes his head. “Well he’s been in the lab with Tony ever since then but I don’t think he’s made his way back here yet.” Harley slumps a little. “Don’t worry, kid.” Rhodey says. “He’ll come around. Now get some sleep.”

\------

The next time Harley wakes up, he hears Tony's voice filtering in from the hallway. "Come on, kid. You can't keep beating yourself up for what happened." A pause. "He's alright! And awake. You're already in the Tower anyway. Just stop by okay?" He ends the call and makes his way over to the bed. "Hey, how's it hanging, kiddo?" "Oh you know, same old bruises, different day." Tony's eyes lose a bit of brightness and Harley immediately regrets his joke. "I'm sor-" "No worries, kid. Should have known your sass would've survived all this." Tony says with a reassuring smile. "Who was that on the phone?" Harley asks. "Peter. He's kinda beating himself up for not being with you before you got taken." "It's not his fault. I probably should have called for delivery instead of walking." Tony shakes his head. "Ah, ah. It's not your fault either, Keener. You couldn't have known this would happen. But now I need to upgrade you and your sister's watches." Tony continues to ramble on about upgrades when Harley hears a shuffle by the door. Peter is standing nervously just inside the room, looking like he hasn’t slept in a few days. “Hey, darlin’!” Harley calls. The other boy gives a small smile and Tony beckons him closer. Peter makes his way to the bed. “How are you feeling?” Harley smirks. “If someone asks me how I’m feeling one more time, I’m gonna fuckin’ slap ‘em.” It earns him a small chuckle from Peter. “Language, mister.” Tony chides but he’s smiling. “I’ll leave you guys to catch up.” Tony says leaving the room. Peter won’t meet Harley’s gaze, so he reaches out and grabs his hand. “Hey, I’m okay. I’ve been better but I’ll heal.” “I shouldn’t have left you.” He says still not meeting Harley’s eyes. “Come on, sweetheart. No more of that. You couldn’t have known what was gonna happen to me. And it could have happened to you and I don’t think I could handle that.” Peter’s shaking his head. “No, no, _I_ could have known. This- You’re hurt ‘cause of me.” Harley tugs at Peter’s hand. “Peter.” At this the boy turns to look. “If you were with me you would’ve been taken too. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt.” The look in Harley’s eyes is solemn but determined. “Come here.” He says and he wraps his arms around Peter’s shoulders. The other boy clings to him as tight as he can, without jostling his injuries, and taking deep, shuddering breaths.

After Peter’s breathing has slowed down, they pull away from each other, faces still close and keeping their hands clasped together. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Harley.” Hooded blue eyes meet wide brown ones and before Harley can say anything back, he feels the brush of warm lips on his own. Before Harley can react, Peter pulls away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I'm sorry." Peter's retreating, but Harley holds his hands tighter, refusing to let the boy go. "You'd better get back here and give me a real damn kiss, Parker." A relieved smile spreads across Peter's face and he leans in, this time Harley meets him halfway. Now with proper preparation, Harley can relish the feeling of soft lips on his and react the way he wants to. It starts slow but intensifies quickly. Peter licks Harley's lip, over the cut there and Harley opens his mouth letting Peter explore. Harley lets out a small moan and runs his hands through Peter's brown wavy hair and pulls him onto the bed. Instead of just sitting on the edge of the bed like he expects him to, Peter climbs up, never breaking contact, and straddles his hips, holding his weight up so as to not aggravate his injuries. Harley tries to sit up more to get a better angle but winces. "Oh my god, are you okay?" Peter breaks the kiss and gently presses Harley back to the bed. "Don't try to get up."

Peter holds Harley’s face. “You’re still injured, Harles.” He says and the other boy grumbles. "Ugh this is not how I wanted our first kiss to go." Harley says as they break away again. "Oh yeah? And what did you have in mind, cowboy?" Peter says still straddling Harley. "First of all, I think you’re the cowboy in this situation with the way you’re sittin’ on me. And secondly, I pictured us somewhere more romantic and me actually wearing some fuckin' pants." The other boy laughs at Harley's disgruntled face and kisses him once more. "Don't worry, Harles. We can call this practice for our real first kiss." And Harley can't help but kiss him again, loving the way they move against each other. Peter makes noises that Harley thinks are the prettiest he's ever heard. He wants to keep making him sound like that. A warm feeling in his stomach, no it's _lower_ , grows as their kiss continues. Harley moves his hands from Peter's hair and onto his body and _holy shit he's ripped!_ Who knew that under the dorky science pun tee shirts and sweaters, he was hiding a ridiculously toned body? He slides a hand up his shirt and Peter moans at the contact. 

Peter feels, hears, senses nothing but Harley. His scent bursts through the cold, clinical stench of the med bay. The taste of his kiss on his tongue makes Peter melt. The hands trailing up his torso burn into his skin and he can do nothing but groan in pleasure. _God I want him._ Peter thinks. He tangles his fingers into the shaggy blonde curls to bring himself impossibly closer. Everything, everywhere is Harley and he can't get enough. Peter moves to trail kisses to Harley's jaw. "Oh yeah, baby. Fuck, you feel good." Harley says and Peter feels the warmth settling low in his belly. His brain is so focused on continuing to make the boy beneath him utter those sounds that when his spidey-sense goes off, he’s just half a second too late. 

“Holy fuck!” Peter gasps and jumps to the wall opposite Harley’s bed, landing with some grace despite the state his lust-addled brain was in. Tony’s standing at the door with a hand over his eyes. “Really?!” Harley says exasperatedly. “You could have warned us FRIDAY.” “Or me!” Tony adds, hand still over his eyes. “There was no cause for alarm.” The AI sounded smug. If she had a face, she’d be smiling from ear to ear. Tony peeked from behind his hand. “Everyone decent?” “Yep, unfortunately.” Harley grumbles. Tony finally puts his hand down and glares at him. Peter is beet red. “Harley!” He says. “I’m so sorry Mr. Stark. I- uh we- it was-" “Alright stop before you hurt yourself.” Tony looks between the boys. “I was just coming down to check on you two but it seems like you’re alright.” He sighs. “We’ll talk about this later. And Peter?” The boy in question perks up at his name. “You’re staying for dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FRIDAY is my favorite troll and Tony's got the best (read: worst) timing. Still, he totally called it.
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA <3


	12. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley's back and recovering but Peter is still haunted by what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Another Monday chapter!
> 
> So I recently got a kitty and now I fully understand how those people feel on the videos where the cat is just walking all over the keyboard.... It took me way too long to get this chapter up with him being too curious about the keyboard!
> 
> He's adorable and currently playing with my bangs as I type. :P 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the chapter!!

After a couple of weeks of going insane in the med bay, Harley is finally cleared to stay in his room. One day, before Peter comes for his daily check-in, MJ comes to visit with a stack of books and homework that he missed. She had become his closest friend aside from Peter. _His boyfriend? They never really talked about it after that make-out session though the kisses were still wonderful._ "The other dorks are still wreaking havoc at lunchtime and I don't want to put Flash in for you at Regionals so study up." She says but her tone is softer than normal, and her gaze isn't as piercing. "Oh come on, MJ. You've been handling those dummies since well before I got here." He chuckles. They've elected themselves as the "dork-wranglers," always there to keep Peter and Ned in check when they get too far into their little world. She isn't one for too much physical contact, but she does pat his hand and Harley smiles at her. "Thanks, MJ." He says sincerely. She pulls his desk chair next to his bed and hands him a book while she pulls out her own. "Let's get started, shall we?" 

The rest of that day was spent quizzing each other, and Peter and Ned, when they come in. It almost felt normal until Ned and MJ had to leave, reminding Harley that he was still injured and stuck at home. Peter sat next to him on his bed and ran his hands through his hair. "Gonna head home soon, sweetheart?" Harley asks, leaning into Peter's side. "No, I think I'll stay right here with you." Harley snuggles closer but lifts his head up for a kiss, which Peter gladly gives him. They shift so that they're both lying down, Harley wrapped in Peter's arms and it isn't long until Harley falls asleep.

Try as he might, Peter could not sleep. He couldn't stop picturing the bruises, the blood, the scars on Harley. He closes his eyes, hoping to block it all away but it doesn't work. _You should have been there. You could have stopped this. He would have been fine if you worked faster._ The thoughts race through Peter's head and after a few minutes of failing to stop them, he just has to move. He disentangles himself from Harley, thankful that the medication makes him sleep like a log, and jets out of the room. His breathing picks up and all of a sudden everything just seems too loud, too bright, too much. The cars, the sirens, the air moving through the vents and even the floor under his bare feet. He somehow stumbles into his own room and closes the door, falling to the floor against it. "Mr. Parker?" FRIDAY's soft voice sounds like thunder and Peter covers his ears. With Herculean effort, he scrambles to a corner of the room, shuts his eyes and curls into a ball. "Mr. Parker, your heart rate is elevated, and you are showing signs of a panic attack. Would you like me to-" "MUTE!" He yells between heaving breaths and his throat feels raw. His shirt scratches against his skin and tears squeeze out of his eyes. Even with his eyes closed, the soft lights in the room hurt. 

"Peter?" There's a soft voice that is only marginally less grating than the AI’s. "FRIDAY, lights at 10%." The lights dim and Peter peeks an eye out. Tony is crouching in front of him and holding his special headphones. _When did he get here?_ "Peter, I'm going to put your headphones on you but you have to move your hands." He says in a low voice. "Can you do that for me?" Peter nods and does what he's told. He feels Tony place them on his ears and suddenly the sounds aren't as painful. He squints at the man before him, the lights still too bright for his senses. He's still hyperventilating but seeing Tony is like an anchor. "Okay, come on kid. You gotta slow your breathing down. Breathe with me." He takes a few slow breaths and it seems to work a little. Peter hiccups through the first few. Slowly, he reaches out a hand. Tony, knowing what he wants, takes it gently and places it over his heart. The touch still stings a little but Peter's calming down so he focuses on the steady heartbeat and times his breaths with Tony. 

After a while, Peter's breathing and heart rate even out. The hand on his wrist isn't painful and he can open his eyes without squinting. "There you are." Tony smiles. Peter gives a small one back. "Let's get you to bed alright?" Peter nods. Tony gets his pajamas so he can change in the bathroom. He looks at his reflection. Red rimmed eyes, splotchy face. _Ugly. Broken._ He finishes up and heads back to his room where Tony is sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry if I woke you, Mr. Stark." His voice sounds wrecked. "I was already awake," The man says. "and how many times do I have to tell you, it's Tony." Peter takes a seat next to the man. "These over-stimulation panic attacks have been increasing lately. Do you want to talk about it?" Peter shakes his head and Tony sighs, placing an arm around the teen. "Alright well then just listen."

"I've had my fair share of panic attacks. After Afghanistan, the palladium poisoning, New York, the Mandarin, I always thought I could handle them myself you know?" Tony casually rubbed Peter's shoulder. "I hid away, denied it all, and pushed the people I loved away from me. Especially with the Mandarin fiasco. Rhodey and Pepper could see that something was wrong, but I closed off and when Happy got hurt, I blew up." He sighs and Peter wonders where this is going. "You know who helped me out?" Peter shakes his head. "Harley." At this, Peter stills and looks up at Tony. "He wasn't kidding when he said he saved my life."

"After my Malibu house blew up and I 'died,' I crash landed just outside Rose Hill, Tennessee. I lugged my broken suit to a garage and started to fix it up when a little 12-year-old kid threatened me with a potato gun. The kid was kind of annoying, but he was smart. He helped me out with the suit and after I left, I gave him a shitload of tech for his engineering projects." He smiles at the memory. "Technically the first panic attack was all his fault." He says lightly. "Kept talking about New York and the wormhole. But he helped me through the second one. Talked me through it. Reminded me of who I was. Who I am." Tony hugged Peter to his side. "You don't have to go through this stuff alone. I'm here, Rhodey, Pepper, your unreasonably hot aunt May." Peter scrunches his face at him. "And you have him." Tony's eyes are warm even in the low light of the room. "You guys hit it off from the very beginning, just like I knew you would, might I add. As much as you want to be there for Harley, he'll be there for you." Peter sniffled, fresh tears falling now. 

"I just- I can't get the image out of my head." Peter mutters so quietly that Tony almost misses it. "What image?" "There was so much blood, Mr. Stark. So much. And it was everywhere. And then he passed out and god. I didn't think he would wake up." Peter's breathing picks up. "And then I see Harley where Ben died and with the Vulture and the building is falling on us and I- I-“ His voice trails off and he can’t breathe. Tony starts to rub his back as Peter gasps for air. “Hold on, kiddo.” Both of Tony’s arms are wrapped around the boy whose hands grabbed fistfuls of his shirt. “Shh, shh. You’re in the Tower. You’re safe. You’re with me. Breathe with me.” Peter’s shuddering breaths fill the room. “I just- I have my powers and I feel like I could have prevented this from happening. He means so much to me. I never want to see him like that ever again.” Tony plants a kiss on Peter’s head. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for this, Pete. You saved him. Focus on that, okay?” The tears still fall but Peter nods slightly. “I know it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when things get bad but if you can’t, try to find someone to help you remember okay?” Another nod and Tony hugs him close. “Alright, Petey.” He says into the brown curls. “You need to get some sleep.” Tony starts to lead Peter away from his bedroom and he looks at him in confusion. “With nights like these, it helps to stay with someone, and I know someone who would be happy to wake up next to you.” Even in the dim light, Tony can see the boy blush. “As a father-figure/dad to both you and Harley, I’m willing to make an exception to the rule of sleeping in the same bed for now. Mostly because that smartass in the bed can’t really leave it to do anything by himself.” Peter huffs a small laugh and Tony smiles. They slowly make their way back to Harley’s room where the boy is still asleep and snoring lightly. “Get some rest, Peter.” “Thanks, Mr. Stark.” Tony claps him on the shoulder. “Don’t tell Harley that I admitted he saved my life. His head’ll get too big to fit through his shirt hole.” Peter’s smile grows. “Of course not, Mr. Stark. Your secret is safe with me.” Tony nods. “G’night, Underoos.” “Night.” Tony leaves and Peter gazes at the boy lying on the bed. He crawls under the covers and Harley stirs. “Wha?” The teen’s eyes open briefly. “Go back to sleep, Princess.” Peter says, brushing his lips over Harley’s cheek. “M’kay.” Harley faces Peter and snuggles into him. Peter wraps his arms around the other boy and takes a deep breath. Maybe he can find some comfort, even just for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think!!
> 
> -PA<3


	13. When Things Look Up...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories really know how to ruin a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome to another Monday installment!
> 
> Thanks a bunch for the hits and kudoses again!
> 
> I'm getting so close to finishing this story and I'm so proud of myself. I'm so happy that you guys are following along and reading!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

Recovery is a bitch. Harley groans and slumps back into his wheelchair after his PT session. His arms and legs feel like jelly. Rhodey is waiting to take him back to his room. "How was PT today?" Harley glares at him through sweat soaked hair. "Just peachy." He says sarcastically. "Just dump me on my bed and let me sleep till I'm better." Rhodey huffs in amusement and leads them to Harley's room. "Dr. Cho says you're making great progress. You should be up and at 'em in no time." Harley's face sours. “Hasn’t medical technology advanced far enough that we can just shoot up with some chemicals and heal people in a second?” Rhodey laughs at Harley’s grumbling. “If that were true, I’m pretty sure Tony would have told you about it by now.” The soft whir of Rhodey's braces fills the silence. When they reach his room, Peter is there waiting by the bed with water and some snacks. "Hey, Princess. How was it?" Harley smiles at the nickname. "Just peachy, darlin'. When did you get here?" "Just swung by after school to check up on you." With a smirk, he moves to take over pushing Harley's wheelchair for Rhodey, who rolls his eyes at the comment. "I'll leave you two kids to do your thing but remember you're still injured Harley." He warns and walks out of the room. "Bye, Mr. Rhodes!" Peter says cheerfully. "You know, you can call him Rhodey, or James, or hell Iron Patriot. Calling him Mr. Rhodes makes you sound like you’re 10 and I can’t date a 10-year-old." Harley says and Peter laughs, offering him a towel. "Force of habit. What do you wanna do today? I've got some time before MJ calls me back for practice." Harley turns a bit in his chair, catching Peter’s eye. “I’ve got a couple of ideas." he says wiggling his brows. He pulls Peter down for a kiss. The boy standing smiles into it. “Let’s get you back on the bed.” He says as he pulls away. 

Harley smirks and starts to ease out of the chair. “So eager.” Peter wraps his arm around him and helps him to stand. Harley slowly limps to the bed and winces as he sits. “Why does the universe hate me?” Peter gives him a questioning look. “Right when things start going Rated T for Teen, I’m injured and relegated to PG-13.” Peter laughs at Harley’s pouty face and kisses his cheek. “Don’t worry, Princess. I can assure you that PG-13 is still worthwhile.” He gives him a kiss on the lips this time. “And until you’re feeling a bit better, I can show you some previews.” Harley smirks. "Am I getting a special screening?" Peter huffs in amusement and just plants another kiss to his lips. Harley leans back to lie down on his bed and Peter straddles him like he did in the med bay. Harley's sharp intake of breath momentarily stops Peter from continuing but the hand behind his head, tangled in his hair, stays firm. "I'll tell you if it's too much." Harley says into the kiss. Peter’s hands cup his face as Harley moans, his hands rubbing Peter’s thighs and slipping under his shirt. 

Peter shivers at Harley’s touch. The scent of Harley’s deodorant, his skin, his essence, fills his nose and everything around him fades away. He closes his eyes and basks in the feeling of Harley’s lips, his chest, his body beneath him. His sucks in a breath as Harley's tongue explores his mouth. His pants start to grow tighter and suddenly one of Harley's hands drifts to the waistband of his jeans and he shivers. The brush of fingers feels nice until the button is open, and the sound of his zipper reaches his ears. Startled, Peter opens his eyes and instead of Harley beneath him, it's a different man. Instead of piercing blue, it's green. In place of dirty blonde curls, it's dark hair and the touch doesn't feel as nice anymore. It's burning his skin, phantom paths over his thighs and stomach and he jerks back. He doesn't hear Harley's panicked, "Darlin'?" as he backs away from the bed, breathing heavily. Flashes of days and nights spent with _him_ float through his mind and he can't take it anymore. "You're- I'm- It's not- " He stutters, not meeting the other boy's eyes. There's a muffled, "Peter?" that reaches his ears but it doesn't break through the "Einstein" that makes his skin crawl. "I need- I need to go." His heartbeat is pounding in his ears, eyes stinging and it feels like he can't take in a full breath. He stumbles towards the door, trying and failing to close it as he rushes out.

Harley is left sitting on the bed alone, staring at the door. _What the fuck was that? Everything was fine, was great even. Maybe he was going too fast? That couldn't be it. Peter had been the one to start. It had been weeks, almost a month, since their first kiss in the med bay and they spent all their free time with each other. So why did Peter run? Why did he leave? Why did his face look so wrecked and haunted?_ He doesn't know how long he sits there but he is broken out of his spiraling thoughts when his phone rings. 

_* **guyinchair** has started a new chat*_  
_* **guyinchair** has added **fuckoff** to the chat*_  
**guyinchair** : hey is peter with u? he isn't answering his phone  
**guyinchair** : mj's tweaking cuz he's late... again  
**fuckoff** : i'm not tweaking  
**fuckoff** : but there's a competition right around the corner and I need my best player here  
**guyinchair** : best player? what abt me?  
**countrygay** : he just left  
**guyinchair** : feels *great* 2 b ignored but good 2 kno he's on his way  
**fuckoff** : *eye roll*  
**fuckoff** : well he better be here soon  
**countrygay** : hey can I ask u guys smthn?  
**countrygay** : abt peter?  
**guyinchair** : what's up?  
**countrygay** : this might be tmi  
**fuckoff** : of course it is  
**guyinchair** : I mean I kinda figured this would be tmi cuz u wud probs just ask straight up instead of asking to ask  
**countrygay** : that's a good point  
**countrygay** : sooo...  
**countrygay** : we were like... gonna do some... things  
**countrygay** : well.. we almost did some things and then he got this look in his eye like he wasn't here anymore  
**countrygay** : he looked so scared and he ran away from me  
**countrygay** : I don't know what I did but he looked wrecked man  
**fuckoff** : ned this is all you dude  
_*fuckoff has left the chat*_  
_**guyinchair** is typing_

Harley waits in earnest as the notification about Ned typing appears and disappears. He lets out a breath when his notification ringtone chimes. 

**guyinchair** : it's not your fault Harley  
**guyinchair** : and it's not my story to tell  
**guyinchair** : but I will say this  
**guyinchair** : pete's been thru hell and back and is somehow as well-adjusted as he is  
**guyinchair** : he'll tell u in time but I think he needs to figure out how to go about it first  
**guyinchair** : if u wanna kno some of it, talk to May  
**countrygay** : ok

Harley thinks about how Ned phrased his explanation. /to hell and back? What does that mean?/ His phone chimes again.

 _* **fuckoff** has started a new chat*_  
**fuckoff** : I only have bits and pieces of the full story  
**fuckoff** : it's not pretty  
**fuckoff** : from what I kno, peter is the strongest fucking person I kno but he's gonna need u to help him through it  
**fuckoff** : for now, focus on getting better and when he comes to u just be there for him  
**countrygay** : ok  
**fuckoff** : and study up. you're coming to next weeks practice. injured or not.  
**countrygay** : yes, mom

Harley smirks at MJ's last message but it fades as his mind wanders back to the actual topic of conversation. _What happened to Peter?_ He's still mulling over this when someone knocks on the door. "Come in!" He calls and the door opens revealing Tony holding a tray full of food followed closely by an exuberant Abbie who gently shoves him into the room. "Hey, Harley!" Abbie greets. "I thought Peter was here with you." Tony sets the tray on the bed near him and his sister almost tackle hugs him. "Yeah, he was. He uh- he left. You just missed him." Despite trying to be a bit cheerful, Tony notices his slight stutter. He mouthed a _Later_ to Tony when Abbie wasn't looking. "Aw! I was gonna see if he could teach me how to do a backflip." Harley chuckles. "Don't be silly, squirt. I don't think he can do a backflip, or just walk around without either tripping or knocking something over." Abbie crossed her arms. "Oh, ye of little faith." Harley mussed up her hair and laughs as she flails about trying to fix it. Tony chuckles at his kids' antics. "Alright, I brought sustenance." He gestures to the food. "Figured that you'd be hungry after PT." Abbie moves the tray of food closer and takes out her phone to snap a picture. "Abs, what are you doing?" "It's for the gram." Harley scowls at the camera. "Why?" "It annoys you." "Ugh." Tony plucks the phone from her hands. "Stop harassing your brother. He's an injured baby." "Hey!" Harley yells as Abbie giggles. Tony sticks his tongue out at Harley. "By the way, I don't know how your scary friend got my number, but she texted me to tell you that you need to do some drills for Academic Decathlon so grab a book and let’s get started." Tony plops down into Harley’s desk chair and grabs a book as Abbie whines about wanting to watch a movie and Harley hopes that this distracts him enough to drive the vision of Peter’s terrified face out of his mind.

\-----

When Abbie’s yawning and dozing off, Tony shepherds her out of Harley’s room. “But, Dad.” She whines. “No buts, little Keenster. You’ve got school tomorrow.” She’s pouting as she walks out. “See you tomorrow, injured baby.” Harley shakes his head. “Good night, Squirt.” Tony closes the door. “At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite,” he starts, “you should know better than to do anything strenuous while you’re injured.” Harley scoffs and looks away, his cheeks tinting a light shade of pink. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, old man. You must be losing it.” Tony crosses his arms. “Oh don’t play dumb with me, kid. I saw what was about to happen. FRIDAY let me know.” Tony could hear a muffled, “Thanks, Fri.” from Harley. “Now,” Tony softens and drags Harley’s desk chair next to the bed. “I called May and she told me that she’s going to meet you tomorrow for a late lunch.” “What?” “Honestly, I’m surprised she hasn’t come by the tower to look for you yet.” Tony wished he had a camera for Harley’s shocked expression. Oh, wait he has FRIDAY. “Hey, Fri? Make sure to send me a pic of Harley’s face right now.” “Of course, Boss.” 

“What do you mean she’s gonna meet me for lunch?” Tony chuckles. “It means exactly what I said. She's coming to the tower for lunch tomorrow. Well mid to late afternoon really." "Okay, uh why?" Harley asks. "Well, she's been wondering who this boy was that Peter's been talking non-stop about and she has some free time tomorrow so she's coming by to meet you when he's busy with stuff." Harley's too worried about meeting Peter's parental figure to even ask what other 'stuff' Peter has to do. "Don't worry. She's great but don't get on her bad side. She almost rivals Pepper with how scary she can get." Tony gives an exaggerated shiver. "Sounds like you know what it's like to be on that side, Stark." "Perhaps but I solved the problem. Now, get some sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to get May in on all the fun!
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3


	14. Oh, hey May

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter's reeling from what happened in Harley's room and May finds him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Here's another Monday chapter!
> 
> I'm just plodding along with my chapters and hoping that I'm not moving too quickly or slowly. The timeline itself is a little loose so there's that.
> 
> ANYWAY.... Thanks for all the hits and reads!!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

May Parker is a simple woman. She loves Thai food from that tiny place down the street. She loves her small but homey apartment. She loves Queens, though the cost of living can be a bit much. Most of all, she loves her nephew. Her intelligent, energetic, sweet, ever-caring, super-human nephew.

So when she comes home to find him huddled in a corner of his room, shaking and gasping for breath with glassy eyes, she worries. "Peter?" She calls, crouching in front of him. "Peter, sweetie, can you look at me?" No answer. She pushes her panic to the side and goes into Nurse mode. She's seen this before, but not in years. Not since- 

She quickly pulls out her phone to call Tony but is surprised when he calls her first. "Tony? I was just about to call you." "Is Peter with you?" He asks frantically. "Yes, but he's really out of it right now, so you've got some explaining to do." Tony makes a confused noise. "He left pretty quickly so I assumed he had some Spidey business to take care of but he hasn't put on the suit." "What was he doing before he left?" "Oh, uh.... I'm just gonna send you some footage okay?" "Alright."

The video only takes a second to load, thanks to the Stark phone that Peter insisted she take from Tony. After viewing the footage, she calls Tony again. "I'm coming to the Tower tomorrow when Peter's at practice." "What?" Tony sputters. If this had been a happier conversation, May would be smiling at the fact that she could make a multi-billionaire like Tony Stark trip over his own words. "You heard me, Stark. And I'm gonna have a chat with Harley." 

\---

_Hey Einstein. Looking good_

Peter’s heart is racing. 

_Let’s have some fun._

He can’t breathe. 

_You’re my special friend._

_I have this new thing I wanna try._

_Keep your shirt off._

_Don’t tell your aunt. It’s our little secret._

Peter crawls into a corner and breathes heavily, trying to reign in his thoughts. A sob escapes and he covers his mouth with his hand to stop any more from coming out. When he finally comes to, Peter opens his eyes and finds himself in a corner of his bedroom. He doesn’t remember how he got there. The Tower was pretty far from his and May’s apartment in Queens. Looking down at his shaking hands, he sees his webshooters but he’s not wearing his suit. _Oh man this is bad…_ Before panicking even more, he hears shuffling outside his room and May comes in with a huge blanket under one arm and a couple of mugs of hot chocolate. "Hey, sweetie. Back with me now?" She places the mugs on the desk and wraps the blanket around Peter as he nods. She hands him his favorite Star Wars mug and grabs her own, sitting next to him on the floor. The silence is only broken by Peter's breathing which is slowly returning to normal and the slurps from their mugs. 

"May?" Peter says, almost as if he just realized she was there. "What are you doing home so early?" She takes his empty mug and places it on his desk. "It's pretty late, sweetie. You've been out of it for a while. And I don't have the night shift tonight." She wraps an arm around him letting the silence stew between them again. "Do you want to talk about it?" Peter shook his head. "Okay, Petey. Let's get you in bed first though." Slowly, Peter stands, and May tucks him in. He notices the streetlights shining through the window and the inky black of the night sky. "How long was I out?" He asks quietly. His legs and back feel stiff. May sits on the edge of his bed. "A few hours, I think. You were in the thick of it when I got home." Peter nods, eyes distant. She brushes his hair out of his eyes and plants a kiss on his head. "I had uh- I think I had a um- a flashback." May simply cards her fingers through his hair, keeping quiet. "You know Harley?" He asks. "You may have mentioned him once or twice." May smiles. "He seems to make you very happy." That earned her a barely-there smile. "Yeah uh- he's amazing." He pulls the blanket closer around him. "We uh- we were-" He starts. "I know, sweetie. You don't have to talk about it now." "You know?" Her smile turned sad. "Tony sent me footage of what happened." Peter's face blushes and there's a hint of embarrassment in his eyes but May simply shakes her head. "I'm not worried about that. You’ve been happier with him around. What I am worried about is this.” She gestures vaguely around him. “Tony's told me about your panic attacks and how they're happening more often now. I'm so sorry I haven't been around to help you." Peter shakes his head. "No, no it's alright May. Didn't want to worry you." She chuckles. "Well, I'm your Aunt and I larb you so I'm gonna worry." Peter smiles back. "You should get some rest, baby." She says. "You've had a long day." May can see the tiredness lurking behind his expressive brown eyes. She places a kiss on his forehead. "I'll be right out there if you need me okay?" He nods and yawns, feeling warm and protected and safe with her nearby. "Larb you, May." She smiles back at him as she leaves. "Larb you too, Petey."

Peter wakes up gasping for breath hours later. It's still dark outside and the last bits of his nightmare fade away. Sitting up, he grabs his phone to check the time. 3:34 AM. _Not the best time to be up._ He also sees a ton of notifications. About ten frantic texts from Tony along the lines of _Where the hell are you?_. Some more from MJ, asking the same question and if he's alright. The last few messages are from Ned and Harley. 

**guyinchair** : yo where u at?  
**guyinchair** : mj's tweaking  
**guyinchair** : u okay?  
**guyinchair** : Harley said u left pretty quickly  
**guyinchair** : he told me wht happnd. do u need anything?  
**guyinchair** : MR. STARK JUST TEXTED ME!  
**guyinchair** : sorry bout that. but he did and he let me kno you were with May  
**guyinchair** : I didn't tell Harley the story but I told him tht he should wait for u to tell him.  
**guyinchair** : if u need anything or just to talk let me kno.

Peter smiles. _I love my friends._ He sends Ned and MJ reassuring texts thanking them for checking in and that he'd see them in school tomorrow. Then he goes to check Harley's messages.

 **countrygay** : peter?  
**countrygay** : are u okay?  
**countrygay** : whatever I did, i'm so sorry  
**countrygay** : ned didn't tell me the story but if u ever wanna talk about it i'm here for u

It's amazing to think that despite the heartfelt texts from Ned, and the worried but reassuring messages from MJ and Mr. Stark, these last four from Harley make Peter's heart skip a beat. The warm feeling spreads from his chest to his whole body so he starts a new message.

 **pbandslay** : hey harles it means a lot  
_delete_  
**pbandslay** : I just want to say  
_delete_  
**pbandslay** : it was really  
_delete_

After about three more rewrites, Peter just settles on a simple message.

 **pbandslay** : thank you

Without waiting for a reply, he sets his phone down on his nightstand but quickly picks it back up when it chimes again.

 **countrygay** : holy shit  
**countrygay** : i'm so happy to hear from u  
**countrygay** : are u okay?  
**pbandslay** : I'm okay now... sorry for running out like that  
**countrygay** : don't apologize parker. i'm sorry for whatever I did to make u react that way  
**pbandslay** : its totally not ur fault!! really! and i'm okay so u don't have to worry  
**countrygay** : no promises sweetheart ur always on my mind so i'll be worrying my way to the bank until I see you and kno ur alright  
**pbandslay** : then i'm sorry I make u worry!  
**countrygay** : darlin' u apologize too much  
**pbandslay** : sorry  
**countrygay** : *eye roll* will I see u tomorrow?  
**pbandslay** : of course  
**countrygay** : <3  
**pbandslay** : <3  
**countrygay** : and for fucks sake go to decathlon practice  
**countrygay** : mjs gonna fuckin lose it if u miss another one  
**pbandslay** : we'll see

Feeling lighter than before, Peter falls asleep with a smile on his face. Across the city, Harley’s smiling too, relaxing now that the boy that wormed his way into his heart is okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here she is!
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3


	15. May Parker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley Keener meets May Parker. Now he knows where Peter gets it from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Happy New Chapter Monday!
> 
> Thanks for the comments and reads and kudos! It really means a lot!
> 
> This chapter is a bit longer than the others I think but I'm excited about this chapter 'cause I stan May Parker. I love the way they characterize her in the Spider-Man movies sooooo yeah.....
> 
> I also love Mom!Pepper....
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!!

Harley woke from his less than peaceful sleep to the sun streaming into his room. "Good Morning, Mr. Keener." FRIDAY said, her slightly mechanical voice entirely too happy for Harley. "It is 11:34AM." He groaned. "You've slept for approximately 7.5 hours. It's a new record!" The AI played canned applause and cheers. Harley groaned louder. "FRIDAY, why do you hate me?" "I'm not programmed to hate, Mr. Keener." There was an amusing tone to her voice. Harley glared at one of her cameras. 

A light knock on his door caught his attention. "Hey, Harles." Pepper greets as she walks in with a tray of food. She still looks prim and proper despite her sweatpants and t-shirt. "Hey, Pep." He says. "You know, if you and Tony are gonna bring me food in bed, then maybe I should get injured more often." Pepper smirks. "You'd better not!" She sets the tray in front of him. "Don't get used to the royal treatment, Keener. Once you're healed up, I expect compensation for all my hard work." She pops a fruit into her mouth. "I heard you're having a special visitor today." Harley freezes mid-bite. "Does everyone know what's happening?" "Yes." FRIDAY and Pepper answer together. Harley grumbles but continues eating. He finishes his plate when it hits him. "I'm meeting May today." 

"Yes, and?" Pepper asks knowingly, taking another bite of her salad. "I'm meeting Peter's aunt. His mother figure." His eyes grow wide in shock. "Holy shit. I'm basically meeting his fuckin' parent." A wave of nerves moved through him. "What the fuck!?" "Watch your language, mister." Pepper scolds and that's enough to swing his attention back to her. "You have nothing to worry about. May already likes you." Harley's still reeling from his realization. "But what if she knows what happened yesterday? He looked so scared, Pep!" He runs his hands through his hair. "This is crazy. And now May knows and- argh!" Pepper lets him simmer for a moment, knowing that he needs to calm down just a little before she says anything.

"Harley." She starts and the boy's eyes meet hers. "You didn't do anything wrong. May just wants to meet you." Harley is still freaking out. "You like Peter right?" He nods. "You care about him and don't want to see him hurt right?" Another nod. "Then you have nothing to worry about, sweetheart." "But-" "Ah ah. No buts, Keener." Pepper says. "You're gonna be fine." She kisses his forehead and he takes a deep breath. "Thanks, Mo-Pepper." Pepper smiles and doesn't mention the little slip-up. "Anytime, kiddo. Now do you need any help getting up and ready?" 

Pepper spends the next two hours helping Harley change and get ready for PT. When she drops him off at the medbay, she looks on fondly as he starts his stretching. "I know why you won't call me mom and it's okay." She says quietly and Harley freezes. "Your mom hurt you and moms aren't supposed to do that. They're supposed to support you, encourage you, comfort you when you need it. I know you won't call me mom," Harley's eyes water as he watches her. "and maybe someday I'll change your mind about that word but until then, know that you are my son, Abbie is my daughter and I'll try my hardest to be the mother you should have had." Harley can barely keep the sob and tears in. He limps over to Pepper and hugs her like his life depended on it. "I love you, Pep." He says with his head buried into her shoulder. She squeezes back just as hard. "I love you too, Harley." After a few minutes of holding each other, Harley's physical therapist enters and Pepper lets him go. "I'll be here when you're done and we can hang out until May gets here okay?" He nods and she kisses his forehead. "Love you." "You too."

\-----

Harley huffs and settles down on the couch. Pepper was true to her word and met him after PT. Together, they lounged around the penthouse living room and watched reality television trash. Well, Harley watched TV while Pepper handled some SI paperwork from her tablet. But they sat together on the couch and Harley enjoyed just having her around. 

"Excuse me, Miss Potts." FRIDAY called. "Happy has just picked up May Parker and they will be arriving shortly." Pepper turned off her Stark tablet. "Thanks, Fri. Let me know when she gets here. " "Of course." And just like that the calm that Harley felt vanished and a wave of apprehension took over. Pepper notices the way his shoulders tense slightly and she moves closer to him. "Harley." She gently turns his face towards her. "Don't worry. You're gonna be fine. May is wonderful and so are you." Harley simply hugs her back, hoping that her warmth can seep into his bones and stay there. 

Fifteen minutes later, FRIDAY alerts them that Happy and May are coming up the elevator. Pepper stands and when the elevator dings, Harley sees Happy gesturing like a gentleman. A small woman with long, dark hair and glasses walks in. "Hey, May!" Pepper greets. The woman opens her arms for a hug. "Good see you, Pep. It's been too long." She says as she wraps her arms around her friend. "How've you been?" Pepper asks and they catch each other up on their lives in the open kitchen as Harley observes the woman.

She's petite but her personality takes up the whole room. Happy seems to be infatuated with her by the look on his face. Harley snickers quietly and the security guard shoots him a glare to which he responds with sticking his tongue out. Looking back at May, he doesn't see too many physical similarities between her and Peter. Her hair and eyes are much darker. Her skin is tanned where Peter's is pale. Their noses, while both tall and slender, differ ever so slightly. Despite this, Harley can see Peter through her mannerisms. The way she uses her hands to tell a story. The smirk she makes when she says something sarcastic. The way she runs her fingers through her hair to keep her bangs from getting into her eyes. Most of all, he can tell where Peter gets his big heart from. Even from this far away, he can see the love in her eyes for her friend. It's the same look Peter gets when he talks about Ned or MJ or Tony and, hopefully, for him.

"Harley?" He's shaken out of his thoughts by Pepper's call and sees the two women moving towards him. He pushes himself to stand. "Oh no sweetie, you don't have to get up!" May says as she rushes over to him. He waves her off. "I'm alright, ma'am. My southern hospitality card will be taken away if I don't stand to greet a lady." He limps around the couch to lean on the back of it and, pushing back his nervousness, smiles warmly. "Hi, Ms. Parker." He extends a hand out. "I'm Harley Keener. It's nice to finally meet you." The woman simply approaches and wraps him up in a warm hug. "It's great to meet you too." She says. Harley bites back his surprise at the warm welcome and hugs the woman back. "And call me May." She says as she pulls away. 

May leads Harley back down to the couch and Pepper goes to leave. "I'll give you some privacy. I'll be back for dinner, alright?" She says and Harley waves. "Now, I know we're doing these things in a weird order," May starts. "but I think I speak for both of us when I say we should have met over month ago." Her smile is wide and it reminds Harley so much of Peter that he can't help but feel loved and smile back. "I guess so." He says and she takes his hand in hers. "Let me address the elephant in the room first." The apprehension that Harley pushed away came back in full force. Sensing this, May squeezes his hand. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. You're not in trouble but I'm sure you've heard some things about Peter from his friends." He nods and May's smile turns sad. "He just can't catch a break sometimes. I know you don't know the whole story because that's Peter's story to tell but, let me tell you mine."

"I met Ben Parker while I was still studying to be a nurse and working the night shift. He walked into the ER with a huge cut on his head, several bruises, a broken arm and leaning on his brother. His brother said that he almost got mugged so Ben came to protect him and got hurt instead. I called him stupid for taking on too many people but treated him anyway and he asked me out." She chuckles at the memory. "He took me for dinner and dancing. I told him how I moved across the country by myself to live in NY and be a nurse and he told me how his own parents were gone so it was just him and his brother. The rest was history. We got married a year later, moved into a small apartment in Queens, decided we didn't want to have kids and we were happy." A pause. Harley knows what comes next. "Then Ben's brother, Richard, got married to a wonderful woman named Mary, one of my best friends, and they had a son, Peter." May's voice turns wistful. "Ben and I were so happy for them. We definitely spoiled little Peter rotten with presents and we were always there to babysit whenever Rich and Mary needed to leave for work. They were scientists, you know. I never knew what they worked on. Something blocked by NDAs upon NDAs, I assume. They were only ever away for 4 days at the most and they would call every night when we tucked Peter in for bed." She starts to get choked up so Harley gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. "They had just left the night before. I don't even remember where they said they were going but they dropped Peter off with his little suitcase and told him to 'Be good for your Aunt May and Uncle Ben.' They kissed his head, held him tight and then they were gone." Harley struggles to swallow past the lump in his throat and he holds May's hand tighter. 

"The call came in just after dinner. I lost two of my best friends that day. Ben lost his only brother and his beautiful, loving, sister-in-law. But Peter? He lost his parents. His mom and dad. He was only four at the time. So young. Too young. But not young enough to not understand. I'll never forget how the light faded from his eyes. There's nothing worse than seeing that light die." May looks deep into Harley's eyes. "Ben and I were his godparents and in their will, Rich and Mary stated that we would take him in if anything happened to them and of course we did. We loved him. Still do. We cared for him and by some miracle that spark of life came back." A deep breath. "Our little apartment for two became a home for three. It took a lot of time for us to work out how to manage our budget but we made sure he had everything he needed. Ben and I worked extra shifts to make ends meet sometimes but Peter was an independent and intelligent boy. He had some troubles at school with bullies but someone stepped up to help him." Her expression turned dark. "He looked so trustworthy. We thought he was a godsend. Peter seemed to think so too for a while until he came home one day from Ned's house with that spark gone from his eyes again." Harley wants to ask what exactly happened but the sadness in May's distant gaze stops him. "I felt like a failure. Felt like I failed Mary. And Richard. And Ben. But most importantly, Peter. I let this go on for so long and I didn't even know. I thank my lucky stars everyday that Peter is as strong as he is and I thank them for Ben. Ben was Peter's anchor. The strong one in our little family. He kept Peter's spirits up and brought him back to us. Back to me. He brought that spark back, even if it was small. There was something and I knew that if Ben was around, Peter would be too."

"We were good. Happy. Living our lives, up until two years ago." This is the hardest part of her story to tell. "I didn't even know until I saw Peter in the ER. There was so much blood on him but I don't think he even knew where he was. My coworker told me where to find him and when I called his name he didn't even turn his head." A tear falls. "I held him, asked him what happened but when I looked into his eyes, I saw nothing. That's when I knew." Harley's glad he's holding May's hand. It's grounding him, letting him hold back his tears. "He was cremated on a Wednesday. I didn't know how he died. Peter didn't tell me until 3 months later because those months just after his death were quiet. They were sad and we were distant. I worked shift after shift, staying away from an empty bed. I was selfish." More tears. "I couldn't be without him. Without my rock. He was always the strong one. Without him, I was floating away. It wasn't until I had to wake Peter up from a nightmare that I realized I wasn't alone. I had Peter. I pushed away my selfishness and invested in him. I had to. I couldn't bear to have Peter go on with life without that spark."

"What I should have known was that Peter was stronger than I ever was or ever could be. I woke him up from his nightmare, tears streaming down his face, and he asked _me_ if I was alright." She smiles and Harley meets it with his own watery one. "I didn't even know what to say to that so I just hugged him. Hugged him like he was the only thing left and at the time I thought he was. We clung to each other, the last of the Parkers. And that light that I thought would be gone, was there. He was fighting to keep it lit and I could see so much of Ben in him. He's so strong, _so_ resilient. I'm so happy to have him in my life. To have the opportunity to love him. And because I love him so much, I never want to see that light die ever again." Her last sentence is said with so much conviction that even if Harley hadn’t cared for Peter so much, he knows that anyone would make sure that light never dies. May seems to stare right into Harley's soul. "You make Peter so happy, Harley. The way he talks about you reminds me of how I used to talk about Ben. And from what I can see, you're pretty crazy about him too." Her smile becomes one of love and understanding. "I know that you’re young and the world is a scary place but for Peter to find this little bit of happiness, this little bit of fuel to keep that spark alive, I think he should take it. You should too." 

Harley doesn't even know what to say. He's speechless, mouth open and eyes watery after May's speech. "T-Thank you, May." He stutters quietly. "Thank you so much for this." She reaches out and hugs him and he clings to her with his whole being. "No need to thank me, sweetie." She rubs his back. "Just be good to him and never let that spark die. That's thanks enough." Tears slip out of his eyes and Harley buries his head into her neck, feeling every bit of the love May had in her body and inhaling her fresh perfume. 

After a few minutes, they pull apart and wipe their eyes. "Now," May says, after reorienting herself. "How's about we actually get to know each other. I'm sure Peter is bound to stop by at some point, so I'll tell you all the embarrassing stories I know before he does." Harley smiles and laughs at this woman. This woman he just met who cares so much about him already. It's the second time he's ever felt this much compassion so fast, the first being with Peter. Sure, Tony and Pepper love him, and he knows that and loves them with all his being, but this is different. This is something he didn't know he had been missing his entire life. This is amazing. This is understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's how I think May's life works... I really do love her...
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> -PA<3


	16. Business as usual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes back to school after that incident with Harley. Flash doesn't let it go unnoticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another Monday update! 
> 
> I'm so thankful for all the hits/kudos/comments that you all give me. It keeps me motivated to keep writing. 
> 
> Speaking of writing, this story is definitely turning out longer than I anticipated but have no fear! I will finish it! The end might just be later than planned. 
> 
> Once again, thanks for the attention and enjoy the chapter!

Peter woke up from his fitful sleep slowly and uncomfortably. He felt sore and stiff as he stretched to shut off his morning alarm. Groaning, he stood and trudged to the bathroom, avoiding the mirror while going through his morning routine. He coasted through without noticing what or where he was that he didn't hear Ned calling or waving his hands in front of his face.

"Peter? Hey, Peter?" He shakes his head and focuses on the two faces in front of him. "Oh, h-hey guys." MJ sits backwards on her chair and crosses her arms on his desk while Ned takes the seat next to him. "How're you doing?" He thinks for a moment. "I'm- I'm okay." Ned frowns. "You don't look okay." MJ says. Ned nods along and asks. "Do you wanna talk about it?" Peter fidgets with his hands and shakes his head. "Okay. I'm here of you need me, alright?" Peter nods and the bell rings. With a reassuring squeeze on his wrist, MJ turns back to her desk. 

Peter coasts through the day in a sort of haze. Classes blend into each other until lunch time when Ned and MJ try to keep the mood light and avoid heavy topics. He's grateful for their efforts but the overwhelming feeling of guilt and anxiety weighs down on him. While he's in his head, he hears someone calling out to him. "Yo, Parker!" He's shaken out of his thoughts and turns to see Flash staring down at him. "What do you want, Flash?" He asks tiredly. _I really don't want to deal with this right now._ Flash either doesn't notice or doesn't care about what Peter's feeling so he pushes on. "Where's Harley? Did he get tired of hanging with the losers already? Haven't seen him in a while." At the mention of Harley's name, Peter bristles and clenches his jaw. Noticing the change in Peter's behavior, MJ steps in. "Back off, Eugene. Harley's been out sick for a while." Flash takes one step back from MJ, but keeps going. "He's probably sick of you clinging to him all the time, Penis." Peter can't take much more of this. He stands up to face Flash, anger apparent in his eyes and body language. "I'm really not in the mood to deal with you right now but, if you keep pushing me, I will. You'd better watch it, Flash." Peter didn't yell but there were people around that could hear Flash tormenting him and turned to look. What they saw was the small, scrawny, unassuming Peter Parker making Flash Thompson cower in fear. Normally, that would have been hilarious but the look on Peter's face changed the scene from funny to terrifying. Flash puts his hands up in defense and backs away, almost tripping on a chair. Sighing, Peter sinks down to his chair, and the rest of the lunchroom turns to whisper about him. "Damn, Peter." Ned whispers. "You just went all Spider-Man on Flash's ass." Peter smiles a little. MJ nudges his shoulder. "That was good. Hopefully Flash just backs off now."

By the end of the day, Peter's feeling better. The normalcy of school and his friends grounds him and helps to bring some of his focus back. That lunch confrontation definitely made waves among the rest of his junior class but it also helped him get his head in the game. MJ meets him at the door of the Academic Decathlon practice room. "You're going home." He sputters for a moment. "What?" He asks. "You heard me." She says and she shoves a few books and papers into his hands. "Study up with Harley." "But I promised I'd be in practice yesterday and I missed it and-" MJ puts a hand up to stop him. "And I'm saying you should go home and study with Harley." Her expression softens. "You can't ignore what happened and I know you're feeling better now but it's really messing with your head judging by how quiet you've been in class today." Peter's shoulders fall and MJ's voice softens. "I'm not holding it against you, Peter, but you have to take care of yourself too." He nods and turns to leave. "And make sure Harley's still studying!" She says. "I don't want you guys slacking while I'm not there." That earns her a small smile and she gives him one of her signature smirks. 

Peter made his way home through another bout of fogginess and by the time he came to, he realized he was swinging through Manhattan on patrol. "Peter?" Karen asked. "Uh, yeah?" "I have been attempting to grab your attention for some time now. Your spacing out indicates that there is something on your mind. I believe you should take some time to care for your mental health before continuing on your patrol." “I’m fine, Karen. I can handle this." As he answers, his Spidey-sense alerts him to some car-jackers and he swings into action.

After that incident and a couple of robberies and muggings, Peter is standing on the roof when he hears a muffled scream from a couple of blocks away. Quickly, he runs and jumps across the rooftops to find her. "You'd better shut up now, you little slut." He drops down into an alley and lands behind the offender who's crowding a young girl into a corner. She's whimpering and when she tries to call for help, the man slaps a hand over her mouth. "I said shut the fuck up, bitch!" The man is pulling at her clothes as the girl struggles to get free. Peter doesn't let this get any farther and he rips the man off of her. "Leave her alone, asshole." He says with as much venom as he can put in his voice. "Oh look, it's Spidey-boy." The man drawls, clearly intoxicated. "Dude, it's like 4:30 on a weekday and you're drunk?" Peter says. Since it was December, it was already dark but 4:30 seemed awful early to be hammered. "Hey, what I do on my time is my business okay?" The man says, staggering a little. "Now let me take her back home. She's been bad and needs some punishment." The girl whimpers and Peter freezes. "This girl is your daughter." He states, rather than asking. "Step-daughter." says the man. "And she's a no good piece of shit. She's lucky her mom's hot." That's all he remembers before he sees red. 

A few minutes later, he's standing over a body, the face too beaten to be recognizable, and he feels small hands pulling his arm back. "Uh- S-Spider-Man?" A voice behind him asks. "Um- I think it's over now." Peter turns to look at the girl and she flinches at the sudden movement. "I'm- I'm so sorry you had to see that. I don't know what came over me." After checking with Karen that the man is still alive (barely), he steps away from the body and reaches for her. "What's your name?" The girl looks at his hand warily and slowly takes it. "E-Emma." "It's nice to meet you, Emma. How old are you?" "Eleven." She answers. Peter feels his heart in his throat and he has to clear it to get the next question out. "Does this happen often?" Her little face is so scared. "Sometimes he's not that drunk." That's all she says and Peter reaches out and hugs her. She clings to him like he's the only thing left in the world and sobs into his chest. After a few minutes of soothing her, Peter steps back. "We have to go to the police about this okay? They'll help you and make sure he doesn't do anything like this ever again." She nods, wiping the last few tears from her cheeks. "I'll call them for you, alright?" Another nod. "Karen?" "Already on it, Spider-Man." Says the AI. The girl perks up at the voice. "That's my AI in my suit. Her name is Karen. Say hi Karen!" "Hello, Emma. Nice to meet you." The girl giggles. "Nice to meet you too."

He leads her to the mouth of the alleyway, far enough away from her step-dad to keep her mind occupied on other things. Soon, the police arrive and though his relationship with the police is tenuous at best, the policewoman that comes towards him pushes that aside and gets Emma the help she needs. "Thanks, Officer." The woman smiles. "No problem, Spider-Man." He looks to Emma who launches another hug at him. "Thank you." She says, tearfully. "No problem, kiddo." He hugs her tightly before letting go. "See you around." He says before he swings away toward the Tower.

He's lucky that the incident was close to the Tower anyway because he feels the adrenaline from the encounter fade away. "Peter?" Karen asks, fearfully. She may be a limited AI but she was made by Tony Stark and all of his AIs have feelings. "Peter, are you alright?" He lands on the building next to the Tower and staggers over to lean on something. "I'm- I'm alright. Just a little winded." He tries to reassure her but as he pushes off to stand on his own, his legs collapse and his breathing is shallow. "I'm contacting Mr. Stark." _Wha-No. Don't_ He tries to say but he can't stop his hyperventilating enough to get the words out. Just before he blacks out, he feels the Iron Man armor scoop him up.

\----

He wakes up to the familiar lights of his room in the Tower. Groaning he sits up and FRIDAY greets him quietly. "Mr. Parker, I suggest you stay put. Boss will be arriving shortly." _Wha-?_ He looks down at himself to check for injuries and doesn't see any. He doesn't even feel the sore-ness from any recently healed ones. "Hey, Pete. How are you?" Tony walks in and sits on the bed. His voice is quiet like FRIDAY's was and Peter's starting to think that something terrible has happened. "What happened to me?" He asks and Tony sighs. "What do you remember?" Peter thinks back. "I remember going on patrol, stopping some regular neighborhood crime, then I heard a little girl scream and I saw a man trying to get at her and I had to stop it. Then he said he was her stepfather and I- I- I had to- he was-" He's hyperventilating, and Tony is quick to try and steady him. "Peter? Peter look at me." Wide brown eyes meet concerned ones. "Listen to my voice. You're okay, you're safe." He takes one of Peter's hands and places it on his heart. "Feel my heartbeat. Breathe with me. In and out. Slowly." After a few measured breaths, the tension in the room is much lower and the only sounds left are the two of them breathing. 

Tony breaks the silence after a few minutes. "You don't have to say anything right now." His warm hand is still on Peter's shoulder. "But something is clearly bothering you. Karen said you were unresponsive for a bit when you went on patrol and you passed out when I came to pick you up." Peter looks away. "I want you to remember that you don't have to shoulder all your problems by yourself." The teen looks back at the man. "Let us help." 

Peter considers this for a moment and opens his mouth to speak a few times before actually getting a word out. No, not a word. A name. 

"Skip Westcott."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof... Irondad is in full gear man....
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3


	17. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinners don't always have to be with your given family. Sometimes they happen with friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter Monday is here!
> 
> Here's a cute lil' fluffy piece!
> 
> As always thanks for the reads/kudos! 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

Harley is laughing warmly and wiping a tear from his eye as May continues. "And he never tried to eat pears ever again!" She's laughing as well. "Peter's gonna hate me for telling that story." She says. "Speaking of Peter, he should be here by now. Where is he?" Harley wonders and May checks her watch. "I'm sure he's just running late." There's an undercurrent of worry in her voice but Harley doesn't hear it. "In the meantime, how's about we get Pepper to order us some grub?" Harley smiles and the two of them make their way (slowly, due to Harley's injuries) to Pepper's home office. 

As they make their way down the hall, Harley hears some voices and footsteps coming towards them. “He’s not a threat anymore Mr. Stark. Really. You don't have to do anything.” Says a familiar voice. “I just want to forget about him.” They round the corner and almost run into Tony and Peter who look like they've got the same idea. "Hey there, sugar!" Harley says and the other boy's face lights up and breaks out into a small smile. "Hey, Harley and May? What are you doing here?" Peter asks, finally realizing who's hanging on Harley's arm. "Had the day off and decided to hang here and meet this boy that you've been hung up on for months." "May!" Harley's laughing into his hand and Peter's bright red. Tony chuckles and ruffles Peter's hair. "You know she's not wrong." "Not you too, Mr. Stark." The inventor smiles and turns to the woman. "How's it going, May?" "Not so bad, Stank." He grumbles. "You've been talking to Rhodey haven't you?" "He's my Words with Friends buddy." "Wow, say hello to 2010 for me, will ya?" She hits his arm, lightly. "How about we say hello to some food 'cause I'm starving!" 

Together, the four of them barge into Pepper's office arguing about where to order from. Pepper's still on the phone when they come in but her face breaks out into a smile at their entrance. "We'll have to table this issue tonight and schedule a meeting for next week. And no, Jack, you are not allowed to attend if you keep insisting on that." With a sigh, she hangs up. "Tony, why do we hire people like that?" Tony walks over and kisses her head. "Not sure but we can fire him tomorrow if you want." She laughs and moves to the sitting area in her large office where the rest of the party is still arguing over what to get for dinner. "Food time!"

Dinner is loud, messy, chaotic and just the way Harley likes it. Pepper called Ned, MJ, Happy and Rhodey to join them so for once, the dinner table is full. After Ned's nervous but excited chatter with _The War Machine?! The Iron Patriot!? HOLY CRAPBALLS! This is AWESOME!_ and MJ's eyerolling, Pepper announces that the food has arrived. Everyone crowds around the large dinner table with their food and Harley feels like he's part of a family. He sits between Abbie, who's trying to learn MJ's scary ways to torment the boys in school, and Peter whose plate looks like it has enough food to feed a family of four. "Hungry, sugar?" He asks as Peter digs in. With his mouth full of food, Peter turns to face him and he can't think of anything more adorable than the blush climbing high on Peter's cheeks. "Uh, yeah. I- uh- had a light lunch today." he says after swallowing. Harley chuckles. "No worries, sweetheart. But you looked like you hadn't eaten in years by the way you shoveled that much food into your mouth." Ned, who's sitting next to Rhodey across from Peter and still reeling from his hero worship, laughs and says, "Have you not seen him absolutely devour a gallon of ice cream?" "And 4 burgers from Burger King?" Happy adds. "And all of my leftovers from that Thai place." says May. "All in one sitting?" MJ finishes. It was like they rehearsed it and the Keeners don't know what to do except turn their shocked faces to the boy in question who has shoveled another mound of food in his mouth. He takes in their faces and says, "I have a really high metabolism?" It's framed as a question and while Harley is still shocked, Abbie seems to understand. "That makes sense." Now Harley's shocked face turns to his sister. "What do you mean it makes sense? He's eating enough calories for a professional athlete or a family of four. Actually, that's definitely more calories than that." The table is silent and Abbie meets Peter's pleading eyes behind Harley. "I'm just saying he's pretty fit right?" Abbie adds after a beat. "I mean he can do a backflip so yeah." It's a lame explanation and Harley's suspicious but Tony quickly changes the topic. "Oh Harley, I forgot to tell you that I finished the watch upgrades but I want you to test some features out so, lab after dinner?" 

That sparked a whole argument with Pepper about lab time versus family time and the rest of the diners quickly moved onto their own conversations. Harley is shaken out of his head by Peter whose hand is resting on Harley's leg. "You okay, there, Princess?" That nickname triggered some vague memory of someone else saying it but Harley couldn't figure out who, too distracted by Peter's warm hand. "I'm alright, sweetheart." He holds the hand on his leg and kisses his cheek. Peter blushes and turns back to his food. "So, Christmas is coming up. Got any ideas of what you want to do?" Peter asks and Harley thinks for a moment. "Hmm. Not really sure." He says quietly. "This will be the first Christmas where I won't have to work twice as hard to make something special for dinner." Peter felt his heart swell. Harley would do move heaven and earth for his little sister. It was sweet. "Well, since you don't have any pressing plans, I'm sure I can think of a couple." He says into Harley's ear. The taller boys just smiles and pulls him in for a sweet kiss. It's warm and sweet and perfect that Peter almost forgets that he hasn't told anyone (besides Ned and MJ) about their relationship. Almost.   
"No PDA at the table, kids!" May says and Rhodey makes a fake gagging noise. Peter pulls away with red cheeks but Harley just laughs. "Hey I think I should get a pass being injured and all. I need all the comfort I can get." He pulls Peter in for another kiss as MJ rolls her eyes and Abbie punches his arm lightly. "Don't be gross, Harles." Tony joins in. "Yeah, kiss your boyfriend after we've all eaten and digested our food." After this he immediately pulls Pepper in for a smooch. After a chorus of groans and throwing balled up napkins at the mechanic, dinner moves on and finishes without too much craziness.

Ned and MJ leave shortly after. MJ gets a business card and a "Call me if you need anything" from Pepper and promises to teach Abbie more of her scary ways. Ned thanks Tony profusely and still gushes about all the War Machine stories Rhodey's told him. "Wow, Colonel War Machine, sir. Your stories are awesome! Thanks for telling me so many." Rhodey pats his shoulder and chuckles. "Anytime, Ned. See, Tony? It's about time someone appreciates my War Machine tales." MJ starts to drag Ned away but he catches Peter's eye and says, "War Machine knows my name!" Peter laughs and helps Harley to stand and walk their friends out. "See you guys tomorrow alright?" Peter calls with his arm around Harley's side. "Study up for Regionals in January." MJ calls back. 

The rest of the dinner party moves to the living room, piling onto couches and getting ready for a movie. May and Happy take the loveseat, Abbie takes up her usual place on the floor, Pepper and Tony settle into the longer sectional with Rhodey beside them. That leaves the one recliner in the corner. "You sit on me this time." Peter whispers into Harley's ear and he shivers as the boy leads them to the chair. Harley settles onto Peter's lap, leg still a bit sore but he's as comfortable as he can be. Peter's arms are warm and make him feel safe. He blushes when he feels the other boy place a kiss on his neck. 

"Hey, Boss. Vision has returned. Shall I direct him to this floor?" FRIDAY chimes. "Yep!" He says happily popping the 'p.' "Harley you haven't met Vision yet right?" He shakes his head. "Well you're in for a treat." As if on cue, the elevator dinged but didn't open and a man wearing a sweater and slacks _phased through the fucking doors!?_ "Good evening, Mr. Stark." The smooth British voice greeted. "I was unaware that there were others here." The man floats _fucking floats_ over to the group and greets everyone, including Abbie who tries a couple of MJ's tricks and warns him about phasing through her walls. Vision reassures her that he understands how to use doors and then turns to Harley and Peter. "Hey, Mr. Viz!" Peter says. "Hello, Peter. It's been a while. I trust you've behaved yourself in the meantime." "Absolutely not." A chuckle from the hovering man. "I expect nothing less." Harley's mouth is agape as Vision meets his eyes. "I don't believe we have met before. I am the Vision." He holds a hand out and Harley slowly shakes it. "I'm Harley Keener." The synthezoid makes a face. "That name sounds vaguely familiar." Harley hums. "You sound vaguely familiar." He turns to Tony. "Why does he sound like JARVIS?" 

All side conversations stop and the room goes silent. Tony's eyes look sad for a moment before hardening again. "Now I understand why you seem so familiar." Vision says. Whether or not he recognized the tension in the room is anyone's guess. "You've met Mr. Stark before." Harley nods once. "My predecessor had files on you and your sister, Abigail from a few years ago." "Predecessor?" Harley asks. Tony jumps in this time. "Remember the whole Ultron thing with the cradle and the mind stone?" A nod. "Well Bruce and I made an 'anti-Ultron' if you will." "And Vision is the anti-Ultron?" "Wow you're catching on real quick, potato boy." Tony snarks. Harley just rolls his eyes. "Whatever, dad. That still doesn't explain why he sounds like JARVIS." Tony sighs. "We used the cradle to create the body, the stone for energy and a brain model but we needed something -someone to structure the mind and connect it to the body. So-" Tony pauses. "JARVIS volunteered. He went in and Vision came out."

Harley looks back at the being who has stopped floating and is currently sitting on the arm of the couch. He looks back at Tony. "I'm sorry about JARVIS." Then to Vision. "What else do you remember about me?" Vision thinks for a moment. "Not much, I'm afraid. But I remember an old shed, a bright pink watch and a potato gun." "Aha! The potato gun lives!" Harley yells. "Wait, whatever happened to my limited edition watch?" Abbie asks. Harley and Tony make eye contact. "I got captured, it wouldn't stop beeping, so Mr. Kidnapper decided to shut it off... with his foot." Snorts and giggles came from most of the room with the exception of Abbie who frowns. "That was my favorite watch." Tony scoffs. "It was a limited edition watch." She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. "And now you and your brother have state of the art, not on the market, Stark Watches." All he gets is Abbie sticking her tongue out at him.

The rest of the night goes rather peacefully. Vision recounted his stories traveling the world and learning how to be 'human,' Rhodey offers some stories of Tony from college (which garners much laughter from Harley and Peter) and May retells some of Peter's more embarrassing baby stories. "Awww May! Why d'you have to tell that one?" Peter groans, burying his face into Harley's shirt. Harley laughs and kisses the top of his head. "You sound so adorable as a little kid, sweetheart! I have to see some pictures soon." Peter grunts when May agrees to bring them by some time and in retaliation Abbie joins in. "What if I tell you about the time Harley almost blew up the shed?" Harley fixes a glare on his sister. "You wouldn't dare." He says but Peter lifts his head up and smiles at girl. "Oh, I gotta know that one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super cute right?... Right?
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA <3


	18. We Need To Talk About That Day...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley goes back to school but there's something lingering on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! Sorry it's late!
> 
> I don't know where all of you readers are but the pandemic of coronavirus is sweeping the nation. Yesterday I had to go grocery shopping (after getting home from work later than usual) only to find that the store was running low on literally everything... It was crazy...
> 
> Anyway, all that to say, I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday. I'm sorry this chapter isn't too cheery, but it does end happy, I promise. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Skip Westcott events mentioned

Harley goes back to Midtown with a small limp after way spending too much time cooped up at the Tower. "We just want to know that you'll be safe okay?" Pepper says after he's asked to go back into society for three days straight. Now, stepping into the halls of Midtown, he can breathe. Peter meets him at his locker with a kiss and a huge smile. "Hey there, cowboy!" He greets. "It's nice to see you back on your saddle." Harley chuckles and steals another kiss. "If I remember correctly, I was never the one in the saddle." He wiggles his eyebrows and Peter blushes. "You guys are cute or whatever but please don't suck face during practice today." MJ says stepping closer with Ned by her side. "You guys are coming to practice right?" Both boys nod. "I've been dying to leave the Tower so I'm looking forward to spending most of my day away from it." Harley says. 

Thanks to his friends, Harley didn't have to catch up on too much schoolwork. Tony and Pepper worked with the school to make sure he was still on track and Peter, Ned and MJ kept him up to speed on Decathlon drills. So, once school was over for the day, Peter and Harley walk hand in hand to meet Ned and MJ at practice. "Fucking finally." says Flash. The rest of the team looks at him. "What? Those two have been making googly eyes at each other since the beginning of the year." He says. "Lord knows what Harley sees in Penis but, I'm tired of the pining." Harley tenses at Flash's name-calling but Peter stops him from doing anything with a stern look. "Alright!" MJ announces. Mr. Harrington has since given up trying to corral the students and now sits in the corner with a book. "Since we finally have the whole team here, we can get a real practice in."

Practice finishes uneventfully. Not even Flash dared to step out of line, so when they're let out, Harley and Peter walk to where Happy is waiting in the parking lot. "Hey, Hogan! Thought you weren't anybody's personal chauffeur?" The man doesn't even raise an eyebrow. "I'm not." He opens the door for the teens. "I'm just doing my job as head of security." The boys enter. "Thanks, Mr. Happy." "No problem, kid. And just call me Happy." 

Happy puts up the privacy screen as he drives, giving the teens some space. Peter tucks himself into Harley's side as the other boy wraps an arm around him, kissing the top of his head. They fill the silence with small talk and complaints about dumb teachers and Flash. At the back of his mind though, Harley is still thinking about Peter fleeing from his room before. When there's a lull in the conversation, Harley takes a deep breath and says, "So, I don't know what happened that day in my room." Peter stiffens at the comment but doesn't move away. "Don't worry, I'm not angry or whatever but I worry about you. You looked so scared and I thought it was something I did. You don't have to tell me now or ever, really. Just know that I'll be here for you if or when you do." Harley tugs him closer as Peter wraps his own arms around him. 

The rest of the ride is silent. The walk up to Harley's room is silent. Even unpacking their books and laying out their homework is silent, and Harley can't help but feel like he's pushed Peter away or ruined the best thing that's happened to him. Peter wants to say something, anything but his mind is stuck on what happened before. All the words he wants to say are caught in his throat. 

"Peter-"  
"Harley-"

The laugh softly at the overlap and Peter lets Harley speak first. Harley tugs him into his arms. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. We can leave it behind us and just go back to what we had before. Just you and me together." He punctuates the last few words with kisses on Peter's cheeks, nose and lips. Peter smiles and squeezes Harley. "Don't be sorry for that, babe." He says trying out the nickname for the first time. "You didn't do anything wrong." He takes a deep breath. "It's nothing about you, Harley. You're wonderful. Probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. It's- I- Something... happened to me when I was younger." Peter starts. He closes his eyes and feels Harley's arms tighten around him. "You don't have to tell me now, sweetheart." Harley whispers. "I know but, I think I need to." 

_Eleven-year-old Peter Parker sits at a table across from a handsome, green-eyed teenager. They're working on physics and chemistry problems that are way beyond the knowledge base of the average middle-school kid and the older boy laughs. It's music to Peter's ears. "You're such a smart kid." He says. "A real Einstein." Peter blushes and smiles. "You really think so?" He asks. The teen ruffles his hair but leaves his hand on top of Peter's head. "I know so."_

"It was so innocent." Peter whispers. "Just a college kid, tutoring a middle school kid with homework. He helped me work through high school textbooks outside of school and some of the subjects that I wasn't so good at too. He's the reason I didn't flunk English in middle school." He smiles despite the pit in his stomach. 

_"Wow, your apartment is so cool!" Peter says dropping his backpack on the floor next to the couch. "You live by yourself?" The teen looks sad for a moment. "Yeah. My parents died a while back. I've got no siblings or family in the area and left me with this place and some money. Now, I'm here working and getting my college degree online." He slumps onto the couch. "But make yourself at home, Einstein." Peter sits next to him with a little bit of space in between and pats his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your parents, Skip. Mine died when I was 4." Skip smiles at him and places his hand on top of Peter's. "Thanks, kiddo. Now let's get into your homework so we can have more free time." Peter smiles as Skip's mood lifts. "Free time for what?" He doesn't catch the mischievous glint in his eye. "Anything, Einstein. Anything."_

"Aunt May and Uncle Ben were so happy that I wasn't alone anymore." Peter sniffles and tears gather in his eyes. "After Harry got sent away, I didn't have any friends. Just bullies. Stupid bullies who like to pick on lonely kids with no parents." Harley rubs circles on Peter's back to keep him grounded, a trick he learned when Abbie was crying hysterically about some mean people at school. "I thought he was so nice." Peter clenches his fist into Harley's shirt. 

_“Hey, Einstein.” Peter, blushes slightly at the nickname and turns to look at him. “You’re pretty for a baby.” Peter frowns. “I’m not a baby.” Skip just smiles. “Oh yeah?” “Yeah I’m almost a teenager!” The hand on his thigh moves higher. “And you’re my favorite almost teenager. How about I show you why you’re my favorite.” He moves his hand higher to brush against the front of Peter's pants, fumbling for the zipper. Peter, starting to feel uncomfortable, quickly stands and moves away from the couch. "What are you trying to do, Skip?" He asks, eyes wide. The teen laughs. "Aw, I'm just trying to have some fun, you little baby." "I'm not a baby!" Skip stands and grabs the cup of juice on the side table. "If you're not a baby, then why do you have juice all over yourself?" He splashes the whole cup of juice onto him. "Oh Einstein, you've made a mess." He says with a sneer. "Let's get you out of those messy clothes."_

Peter's head is tucked under Harley's chin and he's clutching his shirt so tightly that Harley can feel Peter's tears drip onto his skin. "H-He made m-me. I w-was eleven when it started." Peter's breathing picks up. _Eleven!_ Harley feels a surge of rage building inside him. "I-I d-didn't know wh-what he w-was doing." Peter frantically looks up, wide frightened brown eyes meet Harley's concerned blue ones. "He told me if I told anyone, he'd hurt them and when I tried to stop him he'd t-touch me more. So I-I just let h-him." The anger that Harley felt was beaten down by the overwhelming need to comfort Peter, to make him stop hurting. "He's not here anymore, sweetheart. It's just me. I've got you." Ater a few minutes of calming Peter down, Harley presses a kiss to his head. "You don't have to tell me everything now, darlin'. I'm happy you told me, even if it hurts me to hear it." Peter shakes his head. "But I do." He swallows. "If I don't then I might never get it all out." 

_Ned leaps from the window of his apartment after seeing the beat up car pull up to the curb. "Peter's here!" He yells to his parents in the kitchen. "Alright." His mom calls. "No running inside, anak." He's bouncing with excitement as he waits for his best friend to come up the stairs. He just got a new lego set for his birthday and he and Peter were going to see if they could build the whole thing in one day. A knock at the door startles him. "I got it, mom!" He says with a giddy smile. That smile drops when he sees Peter in the doorway. "Peter? Are you okay?" He asks. The other boy has red-rimmed eyes and a frantic look in his too-wide eyes. Ned leads him into his bedroom without a sound. He tries to touch his shoulder but Peter flinches away. "Hey, Pete?" He starts, speaking lowly like he's facing a wild animal. "What's wrong? What happened?" Peter opens his mouth a few times but the words die in his throat. A knock on the door startles the boys and Ned's mom peeks her head in. "There are snacks in the kitch- Peter?" She steps into the room and kneels down in front of the boy. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Her soothing voice and Ned's calm and concerned presence is all it takes for Peter to crack._

"I don't remember what I said exactly." Peter sniffles. "That whole day is a little foggy but I remember Ned's parent's calling Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Then I remember clinging to Ned when they came to pick me up. It was pathetic. I wouldn't let go of Ned's shirt." He huffs a self-deprecating laugh and Harley hugs him tighter. "That's not pathetic, sweetheart." Peter closes his eyes and hides his face in Harley's neck. "I remember seeing the cops take Skip away. I saw it from my window and I thought everything was gonna be fine. But look at me." More tears soak into Harley's shirt. "Look at how he's ruined me." Harley shakes his head. "No, sweetheart. You're not ruined." He coaxes Peter to look at him. "You're so strong, darlin'. Strong and brave and resilient. Not at all ruined." Harley moves one of his hands to cup Peter's cheek and wipe the tears away with his thumb. "You're Peter Parker and you are the most incredible person I've ever met." He places a firm kiss to Peter's forehead. "You're amazing, sugar." Peter curls into Harley some more, his shoulders still shaking from the mess of emotions. 

After a short time, Peter uncurls himself enough to wrap his own arms around Harley and nuzzle his neck, instead of burying his face in it. "I've never told anyone the whole story." He whispers. "Ned only knows because he was there when I was talking to the cops. MJ knows a little bit because I had a panic attack in front of her after seeing someone that looked like him." Harley kisses his head again. "Mr. Stark only knows his name but I'm pretty sure he's figured out most of it by now. I told him not to do anything though." _So that's what they were talking about before dinner the other day._ Harley thinks. Peter takes a deep, shuddering breath to calm himself. "You are the first person to hear it from beginning to ugly, ugly end." "Not ugly, Peter." Harley starts. "The end of that story is you becoming an incredibly strong and brave person. Thank you for telling me, darlin'." Harley says warmly. "It means a lot and I'm so proud of you." A small twitch of Peter's lips makes Harley's heart swell. "Thanks, Harley." A faint blush creeps up onto Peter's cheeks. He pulls Harley in for another hug with only tears of relief squeezing out of his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harley is super supportive of Peter and I love it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Everyone stay safe! <3
> 
> -PA<3


	19. Holidays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Parkner Christmas Story! (Alternately: I don't care that it's March. I want to spend Christmas with Harley and Peter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi! Sorry for not updating yesterday (again...)!
> 
> My life is getting really hectic right now. Tons of people are self-quarantining but I'm still working so that's fun. On top of that, I'm moving out of my apartment very soon so I'm super stressed about that. 
> 
> Needless to say, my mind has been on about 30 different things at once and what I really need is a vacation... 
> 
> Anyway, enough about me. Please enjoy this fluffy chapter!

The weather got colder and Harley and Peter only grew closer. Since Peter's confession, the two have been inseparable. They spent the first snowfall wrapped in blankets on Tony's sofa drinking hot chocolate and listening to slow christmas songs. During one particular song, Harley pulled Peter up from his seat and they slowly swayed to the music together. Pepper and Rhodey saw them and quietly backed out of the living room, reminding FRIDAY to add more files to the 'Parkner Moments' folder. 

"First snow fall of the year." Peter says sweetly. "It's my first snowfall away from Rose Hill." Harley adds. "Wait, have you been to New York before moving here?" Peter asks and Harley shakes his head. "What?! How?" He exclaims. "Darlin', I didn't have enough money or time to leave Rose Hill." Harley says matter-of-factly. "Well, then I know what we're doing tomorrow!" 

The next day, Peter arrives at the Tower with red cheeks and three layers of clothing. Harley chuckles at the sight. "Sweetheart, is that you under all that?" Peter pulls down the red scarf to reveal his face. "Ha, ha. Very funny, Keener." He steps inside and pulls off the scarf, his hat and gloves. "I get cold pretty easily, alright?" He adds sheepishly. Harley wraps an arm around him. "Well it's a good thing I'm here to keep you warm." "You're so cheesy." Peter laughs. "But you like it." Harley pulls him in to warm his cold lips. 

"Gross!" 

The boys pull apart at the noise but don't look away from each other. "I know you two are all lovey-dovey and all but can y'all just not do that when I'm here?" Abbie says, exasperatedly. Harley turns to his sister. "Hey, no complaining about this or you're uninvited to hang." She cocks her hip out and folds her arms. "Oh please. You couldn't uninvite me if you tried." Peter chuckles and interrupts them. "MJ, Ned and Betty should be here in a few minutes and then we can head out." Betty Brant wormed her way into their little group only a week ago. Of course they'd all known each other through the Academic Decathlon team but now that she and Ned were becoming something of an item, she slid into the group seamlessly. In fact, Harley and MJ added her to the 'dork wranglers' team after she kissed Ned on the cheek for the first time, leaving him speechless and drawing him back to AcaDeca practice. 

When the rest of the crew arrives, clad in jackets and warm clothes (though not as much as Peter), they head out. The snow from the day before crunches under their feet as the group walks the streets of Manhattan. Abbie sticks close to MJ, the older girl leading the crew and keeping a watchful eye on her young 'protoge.' Ned and Betty hold hands, their romance still new but hopeful. They smile at each other with red cheeks. Whether or not the blush is from the cold is only known to them. Behind them, Peter and Harley walk close together, Harley's arm wrapped around Peter's waist. He shivered and Harley tightened his grip. "Are you sure you're warm enough, darlin'?" He asks. Peter nods. "I'm alright. We're almost there." "Oh yeah, you haven't told me where we're headed." Peter smirks. "You'll just have to wait until we get there to find out then!" 

After a few more minutes of walking, the group turns and Harley sees the largest Christmas tree he's ever seen in his entire life. "Holy fuck!" Abbie is in a similar state of shock next to MJ who's smirking slightly. "You like it?" Peter asks, peering through his layers. "I mean, I've seen it on TV a few times but damn. That tree is massive!" Peter laughs and drags Harley along to get closer. There are lit angels in the middle of the walkway that stand out beautifully against the tree and the twilight sky. "Where is everybody?" Harley asks. "Oh that's the best part!" Peter says. "Mr. Stark closed off all of Rockefeller Center for us to hang out for the day." Abbie, Harley, and Betty all gape at him. "Can he do that?" Betty asks. MJ nods. "Of course he can. He's Tony fucking Stark." Naturally, the teens bust out their phones for pictures, taking selfies and cute couple pics 'for the gram!' according to Abbie, who's directing them on how to pose in each picture. After, Ned and Peter make a beeline for the Lego store, citing it as a 'must-see landmark' of New York. After sharing a look and rolling their eyes, the rest of the group follows quickly. 

As Ned and Peter lead Abbie around to ogle over all the different Star Wars lego sets, Betty, MJ and Harley hang back. "Are they always like this when they're together?" Betty asks, looking at how animatedly Ned and Peter are with Abbie. "You should have seen them when the last Star Wars movie came out." MJ says. "Imagine what you see here but times 10." Harley places a hand on her shoulder. "You've been through so much." He says sarcastically and a smirk forms on her lips. Betty smiles too. "And now you have backup!" she adds. The three of them share a small laugh that is cut short by a crash. They look up and see Ned and Peter with red faces, Abbie snickering behind her hand and a small mountain of green lego pieces on the floor. A frantic Lego store worker runs up and pales when she sees the mess. "My boss is gonna kill me!" She cries. "We're so sorry, miss!" Peter says. Ned nods and adds his own condolences. "How in the world did you guys break this? I thought it was glued together!" The worker says. Ned and Peter blush even more and Abbie seems to be laughing harder. Harley narrows his eyes at Peter who is looking everywhere but at him. "Well," MJ says. "It looks like you've got work to do now." The guilty boys look at her. "What do you mean?" Betty and Harley catch on quick. "You two are putting it back together." Betty says. "But we have plans!" Peter whines. "Well that was before you guys broke a lego dragon so step to it!" Harley commands. "You too, missie." says Harley to Abbie. "What!?" She says. "But I didn't touch anything!" "Come on, Abs. Whether or not you touched a lego doesn't mean anything. This has you're influence written all over it." She sticks her tongue out at him. "Hey, Abbie! Come over here and we can work together on this part!" Peter calls. She turns to walk away but looks back at Harley. "I guess it's a good thing I like him too." She says. Harley smiles and makes his way back to the girls. "Fancy a coffee while the dorks work?" MJ asks. "Sure, there's probably a Starbucks or something somewhere around here."

The three of them find a small cafe nearby on the same level as the ice rink beneath the tree. MJ and Harley banter while learning more about Betty. She's part of the school newspaper and striving to be an investigative journalist and she's got an internship with the Daily Bugle set up for the summer already. "Damn girl you work fast!" Harley says. MJ nods. "There's a reason she's on the team you know." "Shut up, MJ." She rolls her eyes. "So what else do we not know?" MJ asks. Betty thinks for a moment and looks at the ice rink. "Hmm, I used to compete in figure skating when I was younger." Betty says, sipping her hot chocolate. "Really?" Harley asks. "Abbie's competed before but when money got tight we couldn't afford to go anywhere for competitions but she would ice skate at the local rink for hours on a cold weekend." Betty smiles. "I used to love the jumps and the dresses. Then I got injured." She frowns. "Haven't tried it since then." MJ stands. "Well we're here now so why not try it again?" The other teens smile and make their way to skate rental booth. 

The three of them skate for about 15 minutes when Harley hears his sister's high-pitched squeal of delight. "COME ON! We HAVE to go ice skating with them!" She's dragging Peter as fast as she possibly can with Ned following behind. Harley and Betty meet the boys at the entrance to the rink. Betty holds Ned's hand as he cautiously steps onto the ice. "Don't worry. I got you." She says as he almost slips. He hugs the wall and she skates slowly beside him. Abbie rushes past Peter and meets a lazily skating MJ in the middle of the rink. "MJ, you wanna see me do a trick?" The older teen shrugs and that's Abbie's cue to show off. Harley smiles at his sister and doesn't miss the bigger than usual smirk on MJ's face. 

He turns to face Peter who's stepping out onto the ice with some confidence that disappears immediately as he takes another step and falls right into Harley. "Oof." Peter says. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" He says, scrambling to stand, and failing. Harley laughs and helps him up. "No worries, darlin'." Harley's nowhere near as good as Abbie, or Betty for that matter who's showing off a little for Ned, but he was the one to show Abbie how to skate so he knows his way around an ice rink. Peter tries to take another step and promptly falls again. "I can climb walls, swing from buildings and take down bad guys but not ice skate?" Peter mumbles. "What was that?" Harley asks. "Nothing!" Peter's glad his scarf covers the blush he feels creeping up onto his cheeks. 

"You have been ice skating before, right?" Harley asks. "Uh, maybe once when I was a little kid?" Peter says. "It's been a while." Harley smiles. "Alright then let me help you." Harley steps beside Peter and takes his hand. "I'll pull you along okay? You can hold on to the wall if you like." Peter nods and Harley moves forward. Despite the gloves, Peter can feel Harley's warmth seeping through as he happily skates (more like glides) beside him. They loop around the rink a few times before Harley stops them. "What's up, babe?" Peter asks. If Harley's cheeks are red, it's definitely from the cold and not from the pet-name. "Nothing, sweetheart." He says with a smile. How about we move away from the wall now. I'll still hold you alright?" Peter nods and reluctantly lets go of the wall. They skate around a few more times and Peter focuses on not crushing Harley's hand with his super-strength so much that he's too late to realize what Harley's doing. The taller boy pulls him and Peter falls into his arms, grabbing onto the lapels of Harley's jacket. "Harley!" Peter squeals. "Don't worry, sugar. I got you." He says with a warm smile. Peter peers up at Harley, brown eyes meeting blue eyes filled with some unnamed emotion akin to, dare he call it, love. With Harley's arms wrapped around him, Peter feels safe, like he's home. He feels loved. 

Harley pulls down the scarf covering Peter's nose and mouth. He can't help but swoon over the redness in his face. "Thanks, sweetheart." He says. "What are you thanking me for? Mr. Stark closed off the area for us." Peter looks away but Harley tips his chin up to meet his eyes. "Yeah but this trip has you written all over it. And I've had a blast." Peter's smile lights up his whole face. "Really? You had fun?" Harley chuckles. "Of course I did, darlin'. I'm here with you." The emotion in Harley's eyes intensifies and Peter's breath hitches. "Whenever I'm with you, I'm happy." 

Peter's senses zero in on Harley. He can't see, hear, smell, feel, anything but the boy in front of him. It's happened before and it's overwhelming but, it feels right. It feels like this is how life should always be. Wrapped in the arms of a boy he met a few months before, Peter feels like this.... this is it. The blue of his eyes. The smell of the hot chocolate he drank and the scent of his cologne. The redness of his cheeks and his cold full lips. He tries to lean up to get closer, forgetting about the ice skates. Harley reads his mind, or at least can tell what he's trying to do so he ducks his head and captures Peter in a sweet, searing kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was squealing when I wrote this :P I couldn't get the last image out of my head for a week!! 
> 
> Let me know what you think! 
> 
> -PA<3
> 
> P.S. Everyone please stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy!!


	20. Suspicions and Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley feels like Peter is pulling away from him. Maybe talking with someone else will help him clear his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Morning! Happy Monday Chapter update!
> 
> I'm on time! (yay!) And I'm early too. I've finally moved out of my apartment and I'm sort of settled in to my new place. (Whew, one less thing to worry about...) Now all I have to worry about is this virus thing.... 
> 
> Anyways, here's another chapter! Enjoy!

January came in a flash and soon MJ was cracking down hard on the Academic Decathlon practices. "We've got three weeks until Regionals, people. Let's get to work." And they do. MJ has the whole team studying for days and drilling like there's not tomorrow. Between drilling for the competition, Spider-Man work, and actual homework for school, Peter barely had time to relax with Harley. Sure, they saw each other at school and practice and sometimes in the lab but Peter still had so much to do. Every time he had to cut lab time short because of his Spidey-sense, he could see sadness in Harley's eyes. "Can't you stay any longer, sugar?" Harley asks one night. Peter stops packing his bag and looks up at Harley. "I'm sorry, Harles." He says, trying to convey how much he doesn't want to leave. "I really have to go. I-I have this thing. Wit-with May and I promised her." Harley's shoulders sag and he waves his hand. "No, you don't have to tell me, darlin'." He says. "Text me when you get home okay?" Peter feels so torn but he can't ignore the sirens two blocks away. He kisses Harley sweetly. "I will, babe." With a longing look, Peter pulls away and leaves.

It goes like that for the most part. Peter and Harley try to spend as much time together between all the craziness but it's always over too soon and both boys suffer for it. Harley's tired of feeling forgotten and Peter feels guilty for keeping his identity a secret.

 _* **pbandslay** started a chat*_  
_* **pbandslay** added **guyinchair** and **fuckoff** to the chat*_  
**pbandslay:** guys this hurts  
**guyinchair:** peter are you actually hurt?!?!?  
**fuckoff:** no hes being a baby and whining abt smthn he can fix  
**guyinchair:** ooohh  
**guyinchair:** is this abt harley?  
**pbandslay:** damn mj why u gotta call me out like that?  
**pbandslay:** and of course its abt harley  
**guyinchair:** i dont get why u wont just tell him already  
**fuckoff:** ^^^  
**fuckoff:** srsly hes gettin suspicious abt u leavin all the time  
**fuckoff:** just tell him  
**pbandslay:** but i might put him in danger  
**pbandslay:** remember last summer?  
**pbandslay:** both of u almost got hurt cause of me  
**fuckoff:** that wasnt your fault peter  
**guyinchair:** yeah it was those assholes robbing the store and we're okay *because* of you peter  
**pbandslay:** yeah but if harley knew then hed be in more danger than he already is  
**pbandslay:** hes already been kidnapped for knowing mr. stark  
**pbandslay:** i dont want him to be an even bigger target cause of me'  
**pbandslay:** hes the last part of my life that spider-man hasn't touched  
**guyinchair:** ugh i get that but still youre keeping secrets from him  
**fuckoff:** cut the 'im protecting him' bs parker  
**fuckoff:** we wont tell him but u have to before things get crazy  
**fuckoff:** be safe on patrol tonight  
_* **fuckoff** has left the chat*_  
**pbandslay:** ugh ned do u really think i shud tell him?  
**guyinchair:** yeah dude  
**guyinchair:** this is a huge part of who u are man  
**guyinchair:** if harley really means that much to u, he shud know  
**guyinchair:** just think abt it  
**guyinchair:** see ya pete  
_* **guyinchair** has left the chat*_

 _But that's so difficult to do!_ Peter thinks. _Now he'll think I never trusted him because I waited so long to tell him._ Of course, Harley means that much but what if him knowing makes his life that much worse. It's bad enough that May and his friends know because that puts them in so much danger. That incident from last summer stuck out in his head and he doesn't think he can ever forgive himself for getting Ned and MJ involved in that mugging situation. He takes a deep breath, resolving to think about his predicament later when patrol is over. Finally in his suit, Peter swings into the night, listening to Karen rattle off crimes in the area. Swinging through the streets of Manhattan is one of Peter's favorite things to do. The feeling of flying and reaching the apex of every arc fills him with a rush of adrenaline that is better than almost anything else in the whole world. As his patrol ends, he lands on top of Stark Tower breathing heavily but feeling exhilarated. He reaches to take his mask off when he hears the door to the roof slide open. "Spider-Man?" Peter whips around at the voice and sees Harley in his PJs, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing here?" 

Peter hopes he doesn't look as suspicious as he feels when he answers. "Hey, Harley. I'm just stopping here for a moment." He's thankful that the voice modulator in the suit still works. "How're you doing?" Harley plops down next to him. "I'm alright." He slouches and leans his arms on his thighs. "Can't sleep?" Peter asks. "I'm waiting for a text from someone." Harley answers. _Oh shit, right._ Peter thinks, cursing himself because he forgot. "Do you remember that guy I was talking about when we met for the first time?" Harley looks at him but cuts him off before Peter can answer. "Of course not, who am I kidding. You're a superhero with a shit-ton of other things to worry about. Never mind." Harley's waving his hand to brush off his comment but Peter catches it. "I do remember. That was a good night." Harley swears he can see a smile form behind the mask. He sighs. "Well, you know Peter Parker, right?" A nod. _Is this conversation really happening?_ Peter thinks. "I've been kind of dating him for a while." His lips twitch upward. "He's everything I thought he would be. Sweet, kind, caring, adorable, smart, funny. Not to mention incredibly hot." Peter chokes a little, which makes Harley laugh. "Just making sure you're still listening to my rambling, Spidey-boy." At this point, they both realize that Spidey is still holding Harley's hand.

They both eye their hands and Harley pulls away, cheeks reddening. "Anyway," He starts. "It's been great! I might have to thank those kidnappers for jump-starting our relationship." Spider-Man tenses. "Those guys are in jail for a long time." He offers. Harley nods and says. "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving me that day. So, thanks." Peter smirks under his mask. "Any time, good citizen. Just doing my job." He says in a faux Captain America-esque voice. Another Harley laugh. "Shit, you sound just like him! That's hilarious!" The easy conversation between them is soothing but Harley remembers why he was up in the first place and he checks his phone, frowning slightly. Peter notices and curses himself. "I'm sure he's gonna text you soon." He offers. "It's not just that though." Harley says. He stares at the lights of New York. "He's hiding something. And I know these last couple of weeks have been stressful but there's something he's not telling me. Something more important than me." He starts. "I know that makes me sound selfish. Like 'You've only been dating for a few weeks so why are you complaining about this?' But even if we’ve only been dating for a short amount of time, it feels like we’ve known each other for ages. And whatever it is that he's hiding, it feels like a huge part of his life." Harley turns to look at Spider-Man. "You've worked with him for a while, right?" Peter nods. "Do you know what he does when he leaves the lab?" 

_Yeah I do Keener and it'll blow your mind._

"Uh, nope. He just works on my stuff. Never really talked to him outside of that." Peter answers. Harley looks dejected again. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure he's just trying to find the right time and way to tell you." Spider-Man says. "He probably feels like it's just difficult to approach the topic and not shock you or make you hate him or something." Harley scoffs. "Nothing in this world, no, this universe could make me not love him as much as I do." Peter sucks in a breath and it takes Harley an extra moment to realize what he said. When he does, his eyes grow as wide as saucers. "Holy fucking shit. I love him." He whispers. "I-I fucking love him." Peter's silent and frozen. "Of course, I love him. I don't know where he runs off to, but I love him." _He loves me?!_ Harley's staring at his hands with a giddy smile growing on his face. "I've been trying to figure out what this feeling is that I get when he's around and now, I know. I mean, I feel like I've always known. But now that I've said it out loud... It's, it's real." 

Peter doesn't know what to say but he can feel his heart racing and his cheeks hurting from smiling too much. Harley continues. "I've only known him since September but holy shit, I've never met anyone in the world like him. And I don’t think I ever will. He’s the most incredible person I’ve ever met." Harley looks at him and it's almost as if he can see right through the mask. "He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know what I would do without him. I can't even imagine going back to a life without him. Do you know what I mean?" It takes a little bit of time for Peter to recover but not enough to say anything, so he just nods dumbly. Harley's smile grows wider and there's a twinkle in his eye and he stands abruptly. "I'm sorry I dumped all this on you, Spidey. And it's stuff about a 'work friend.' He's amazing and I just, I love him and i just wanna know what keeps him away from me." He pauses. "Sorry but you're super easy to talk to. Maybe it's the whole mask thing." _You too, Harles._ Peter thinks. "No worries, Harley." He's still stunned from Harley's confession. The taller boy starts to make his way back inside. "I'm sorry I'm cutting this short, but I think I need to sit by myself for a little bit. Feelings and junk, ya know?" The goofy smile never leaves his face. Peter waves. "Get some sleep, Harley." "Good night, Spider-Man." 

Once the roof is empty, Peter rips his mask off. "He loves me. Oh my god, he loves me." His legs dangle over the edge of the roof as the dulcet sounds of car horns fill the air. "Holy shit." He knows his face looks just as goofy as Harley's had been because he can feel how hot his cheeks are. 

_Oh Harley. I love you too._

Even just thinking the words in his head makes Peter feel ecstatic. He pulls his mask back on and jumps off the roof. "Wooo!" He yells. It feels amazing. His heart feels so full that it might burst with excitement and love of this boy from Tennessee. Karen pulls up a warning and interrupts his train of thought. "Peter, your designated patrol window is over. Mr. Stark and Ms. Parker are wondering why you aren't in bed." _Damn it._ "Karen, can you send a message to Mr. Stark and May that I'm heading home?" "Of course, Peter. Anyone else?" Peter swears he can hear his AI raise an eyebrow at him (if she had a face, of course). He rolls his eyes. "Okay I get it. I'll text him when I get home."

A few minutes later, he's climbing through his bedroom window with practiced ease. It's about a quarter to one in the morning and he peels off his suit and crawls into bed.

 _* **pbandslay** started a chat with **countrygay** *_  
**pbandslay:** hey babe ;)  
**pbandslay:** i'm home  
_* **countrygay** is typing*_  
_* **countrygay** is typing*_  
**countrygay:** hi sweetheart  
**countrygay:** i'm glad ur home :)  
**countrygay:** how's may?  
**pbandslay:** she's fine... why?  
**countrygay:** you had a thing with her right?  
**pbandslay:** oh yeah  
**pbandslay:** she's great  
**pbandslay:** how r u?  
**countrygay:** i'm good  
**pbandslay:** shudn't u be sleepin  
**countrygay:** noooooo  
**pbandslay:** come on harley  
**pbandslay:** we've got a huge test in bio tomorrow and regionals is next week  
**countrygay:** then what's ur excuse parker?  
**pbandslay:** ...i was helpin may with somethin  
**countrygay:** uh huh  
**countrygay:** i'm sure may wud hav understood that u had to sleep  
_* **pbandslay** is typing*_  
_* **pbandslay** is typing*_  
_* **pbandslay** is typing*_  
_* **pbandslay** is typing*_  
**countrygay:** stop  
**pbandslay:** stop what?  
**countrygay:** *sigh* you dont hav to tell me what it is u do after school or whatever okay?  
**countrygay:** its just that it kinda sucks when idk where u are cause u wont tell me  
**pbandslay:** i'm sorry harley  
**pbandslay:** i really wanna tell u but i cant  
**countrygay:** cant or wont  
**pbandslay:** cant but im trying to find a way to  
**countrygay:** ...okay  
**countrygay:** i trust you darlin'  
**pbandslay:** thank u  
**countrygay:** see u tomorrow?  
**pbandslay:** yep  
**pbandslay:** good night harley :)  
**countrygay:** good night peter :)  
**pbandslay:** <3  
**countrygay:** <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and angst in one? Sorta? 
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3


	21. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say ignorance is bliss but when your boyfriend won't tell you where he goes all the time, is it really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's another chapter but it's late... again... (sorry!)
> 
> Life's been crazy and yesterday I made 2 facemasks and they took FOREVER. (Also I'm like a really crap seamstress.) On top of all this, I'm trying to unpack all my stuff from my move and that's taking a while too... AND I'm still working despite most businesses being closed.... Basically 2020 has been super overwhelming and I'm just trying to stay afloat right now...
> 
> Anyways, enjoy another chapter!

The frustration that Harley feels whenever Peter ditches him rises to a boiling point at the prom at the end of March. The team had won Regionals and were practicing for Nationals in May, but in an unexpected but impressive show of some backbone, Mr. Harrington finally put his foot down on MJ's crazy drilling and stated that for the two weeks leading up to the prom, there would be no practice. "You've all earned a well-deserved break. Go be teens for a bit and then you can come back to this on Monday." MJ looks like she's about protest but most of the team ditches the practice room before she can get a word out. "Come on, MJ. Let's go have some fun!" Peter says dragging his friend along. 

From then, Harley and Peter experienced two weeks of absolute bliss. Yes, Peter still had to cut some of their dates short for Spider-Man duties, but he had so much more time to make it up to Harley. They go out to dinners, see movies. All the cheesy things new couples do. Peter takes him to all the touristy places and Harley marvels at Peter's ability to find the most adorable hidden spots around the city. Harley's favorite place that Peter takes him to is Coney Island. Sure, the amusement park is fantastic, but Peter finds the best spot to sit on the beach and make out like there's no tomorrow. Still, the feeling of being left behind when Peter ends their time together suddenly eats at Harley's confidence. So, when the date of the dance comes up, Harley ekes out a promise from Peter to not leave his side. "Please, darlin'." He says the night before the prom. "I haven't had a good track record with dances and boys, but I want to make a new memory with you." He kisses him. "Please promise me that you won't leave early." Peter looks so torn. Of course, he never wants to leave Harley, but on the other hand, he just can't help it if he knows someone is in trouble. "Harley-" He starts but the pleading, hopeful look in Harley's eyes, like he's waiting for be let down for the umpteenth time, stops him from saying the truth. "I promise." 

The night of the prom rolls around and Harley's in his room getting dressed with the help of Pepper and Abbie. Harley, Peter, MJ, Ned and Betty decided that they should go to dinner before the dance for some good bonding time. Tony got too excited about this and picked a super fancy restaurant that the teens knew they couldn't afford even if they pooled their money together. "It's my treat, kiddos. For a job well done at Regionals." Harley always knew Tony was a softie on the inside. "This place is fancier than your average dinner place, Harley." Pepper says as she tames his unruly blonde locks. "Gotta get all gussied up for tonight." Harley looks at her. "Pep, I don't think anyone's used the term 'gussied up' since the 1920s." She simply pulls out an assortment of suits (courtesy of Tony Stark) from his closet. "Cut the sass, Keener, and put this on." Abbie's texting her friend Miles and putting in her two cents in every now and then. "Harley, quit playing around." She scolds, sounding older than her 12 years. "Just wear the blue suit with the white shirt. It'll bring out your eyes." Pepper quickly pulls out the one in question and helps Harley into it. He looks at himself in the mirror. _Damn. Alright then. Abbie knows what she's talking about._ As if she read his mind, she says, "I know. I'm a genius." Harley musses her hair up and she scoffs at him. Pepper's still eyeing his outfit. "It still needs something." She mumbles. "Aha!" She runs back into his closet and returns with a skinny dark red tie. "Put this on." She orders and when he sees the finished look, he's definitely pleased. "Shit." He says. "I look fucking good." "Watch your language, Harley." Pepper warns. She looks at her watch and gasps. "Oh, Peter and May should be here in any minute! Let's go."

True to her word, Peter and May show up a few minutes after Pepper and the Keeners make their way downstairs. Upon seeing him, however, Harley freezes. Peter's wearing a dark maroon suit with a white shirt underneath. It looks like it's been made to fit his body, cut to show off his lean physique. The top button of the shirt is open, showing off just a hint of his collarbone. "Fuck, darlin'." He says when he shakes himself out of his stupor. He walks swiftly towards him and holds his face in his hands, planting a (not so chaste) kiss on Peter's lips. "You look amazing." Peter blushes. "Me? Tony bought this suit for me. I feel like a fish out of water in these clothes. You though. You look so great, like you were made to wear them." He kisses Peter again. "Honestly, babe." Peter continues. "Who knew you could clean up so well after all the grease stained clothing I've seen you wear?" He smirks and Harley ruffles his hair. "Hey! Aw man! May worked so hard on that!" Peter says trying to fix the damage Harley caused. 

"Um, hello?" says May, snapping a picture with her camera. The two boys forgot that they weren't alone in the room. Abbie has a hand on her hip and even Tony and Rhodey have made an appearance, standing behind a proud looking Pepper Potts. "Look at my boys." Tony starts, "All grown up!" He wipes a fake tear out of his eye. May snaps more pictures and coos at how adorable they are. After a few more groans and pictures, Harley and Peter find a way to get out of there. The first thing Harley does when they get into the limo (Tony insisted on getting one) is push Peter back into his seat and kiss him deeply. He moves to straddle the other boy, despite his taller frame, and Peter happily moans into the kiss. Harley licks his way into Peter's mouth and almost loses it when Peter grabs his ass and squeezes it. When they finally break for air, both are breathing heavily with lust in their blown-out eyes. "Shit, darlin'." Peter can feel Harley's racing pulse and the puffs of his breath against his lips. "Fuck, I've wanted to do that since I laid eyes on you." Peter gulps back a response, feeling his blood rush south, and leans up and kisses Harley again. "Damn." He says. "The things you do to me Harley Keener." They kiss again, going so far as to grind their hips into each other, feeling every bit of arousal from the other boy, and it's only when the limo driver opens the door that the two break apart. "Sirs, we have arrived." Says the driver, with just a hint of amusement. Peter, looking sheepish and red as a tomato, quickly scrambles out with Harley trailing behind looking smug. Their friends are waiting just outside the restaurant. Ned and Betty stifle their giggles and MJ smirks before introducing the dark-haired, blue-eyed girl next to her. "Kate, this is Dork #2 Peter and his boyfriend Harley. Guys, this is my date, Kate Bishop." Harley and Peter greet her happily, both thinking about the term 'boyfriend'. "Wait, why am I Dork #2?" Peter asks. MJ simply turns to go inside and Ned just shrugs. 

The dinner goes rather well. The teens act like teens. Even Peter is surprised that nothing has happened to ruin the easy mood. They make their way to the dance in the limo Harley and Peter arrived in and when they get dropped off, Peter and Harley stop at the door, letting their friends go in. They both take a deep breath, readying themselves. "You alright, sweetheart?" Harley asks. "I know I had some issues with dances, but I never thought to ask you." Peter smiles sweetly, hoping it doesn't look as fake as it feels. "I'm good, babe. Just excited to make some new memories with you." He pushes the feeling of dread to the back of his mind. _Do I feel bad about that promise or because of what happened at Homecoming last year?_ He thinks. He pushes that thought back too and walks into the gym, hand-in-hand with his boyfriend. 

The room is decorated to look like a beautiful garden, complete with a pergola for pictures and long flowing vines hanging from the ceiling. "Wow, the committee really put a lot of effort into this garden theme." Peter says staring up at the flowers. Harley's looking at Peter's awed face and his heart swells at the thought that Peter is his. "This is nothing compared to what you look like right now, sugar." Harley says. Peter meets his gaze, his pupils blown wide, and sucks in a breath. After their heated looks, they find their friends and their table. The place cards each have a flower on them, and Harley wastes no time taking his and placing it behind Peter's ear. It's a small white blossom and it goes well with the pinky blush on Peter's cheeks. He ducks his head away only for Harley to catch his chin and kiss him on the lips. The rest of the table whoops in encouragement which causes Peter to pull away with a smile. "You're adorable, sweetheart." Harley whispers. The other couples take their time in their own little worlds before returning to the present.  
\---  
Harley has so much fun! The dance is only halfway over and although he thought it was going to be lame, Harley has always owned up when he was proven wrong. Peter's hair flies out of place as he and Ned flail about to the beat of the music. He and MJ settle back by the punch bowl, watching the dorks. "You guys look good together, Jones." Harley says gesturing to Kate who's dancing along with Betty. Her wavy hair bounces around her and she laughs at something Betty says. MJ actually smiles, though it's small. "You think so, Keener?" Harley looks over at her and sees the emotion in her eyes. "I do, Jones." She tears her gaze away from her date and nudges him. "You and Peter are made for each other, you know that?" Harley looks up at Peter and catches his eye. The dancing boy waves at him and Harley nods his head and winks. "I hope so." He answers. "I don't think I'm made for anyone else." He ducks his head and takes another sip of punch, trying to hide the blush that creeps up his cheeks.

Suddenly, Peter ducks out of the crowd of students and into the hallway of the school. Harley stands and follows him. It looks like Peter's talking to someone, but he only hears the last part of the conversation when he catches up. "I can’t just sit here while that’s happening. I’ll meet you there." Peter sighs and puts his phone away. "You're leaving again." Harley says as he steps out into his view. "I'm sorry, Harley. I have to. I-" The taller boy puts a hand up to stop him. "Don't." He says. "You promised, Peter." "I know I did and if I could tell you where I'm going then I would, but I can't." Peter says stepping closer. "Can't or won't, Parker." Harley says, eyes hard. "I can't, Harley. I just can't." Peter is close enough to touch Harley's face. "I'm sorry, Harley." He doesn't get a chance do that because Harley's stepping back and away from him. 

"You know what?" Harley says hands up in frustration, tears gathering in his too blue eyes. "Fuck you, Parker." He says. "Fuck you and whatever secret you're hiding from me." Harley turns the corner away from Peter but stops just out of sight, hoping that Peter will run after him. It's cliché but he just wants to know what he'll do. He hears Peter groan in frustration. "Why does this have to be so fucking difficult?!" Peter doesn't normally curse so this catches Harley off-guard. The boy in the hallway takes a few steadying breaths. "I'm sorry, Harley." He says and Harley hears the retreating footsteps. Once the hall is empty, he slides down to the floor and lets the tears go. 

That's how the rest of his friends find him. MJ and Ned quickly rush over to Harley's hunched form. By the time they get there, his tears have dried and he's sitting motionless on the floor. "Pete, told me he had to go." Ned whispers. MJ turns and tells Betty to take Kate back inside. "We'll handle this." With the other two girls gone, Ned and MJ take a seat on either side of Harley. "Hey, Harley?" Ned starts. Nothing. "Keener, do you want to go home?" MJ asks. The boy in question simply nods his head after a few beats of silence. Ned and MJ have concerned looks on their faces. "Come on, Harles." MJ says standing and offering a hand to him. "Let's call, Pepper." His two friends lead him out to the parking lot and call the CEO. They wait with him until Happy comes by with the car and even offer to go with. "No don't." Harley says quietly. "Your dates are still in there waiting. Wouldn't want to ruin your night." Ned and MJ look sad. "Are you sure, Keener?" MJ asks. He nods and Happy waves them off. "I got him."

Back at the Tower, Pepper is in the kitchen waiting with Abbie and three mugs of hot chocolate. He nearly rips his tie off and throws it on the ground. "Why am I a fucking idiot?" He says as he slumps onto a stool. Pepper simply wraps her slim arms around her son. Abbie joins in too. She hates seeing her big brother so sad. "You're not an idiot, Harley." Pepper says, kissing his head. "Well if I'm not an idiot, then why do people get my hopes up only to let me down over and over again?" He spits out. "First, it's my dad. Then my fake friends back in middle school. Then stupid fucking Paul and the fucking football team and now Peter!" He says. "Peter's the best thing that's ever happened to me and he left me after promising he wouldn't! He won't even tell me why!" Pepper and Abbie hold him tighter. After a few minutes, the group moves to the couch, bringing the hot chocolate with them. Harley lays his head down on Pepper's lap and Abbie takes a cushion and sits on the floor by her brother's head. 

Pepper runs her fingers through Harley's curls and feels, more than sees, how much he's shaking. His tears are soaking her pants now even Abbie's starting to cry silently. Eventually, Harley falls asleep, curled up on the couch and Abbie grabs a blanket to spread over him. When she does, she stalks away, an angry look in her eyes. "Where are you going, Abbie?" Pepper asks quietly. "To smush a spider." Pepper catches her wrist and turns the girl around. "Abigail, you can't do that." "But look at what he did to my big brother!" She almost yells. Harley stirs for a moment but mercifully stays asleep. "He's hurting and it's all Peter's fault." Pepper sighs and pulls Abbie to sit next to her. "Harley's been so strong ever since our dad left." She says. "I never knew him before that but all I know is that he's protected me and cared for me when I cried, and he chased off bullies when they came after me and now, I have to do the same for him." Pepper wrapped her arm around her daughter. "I know, sweetie." She says. "This is different from chasing off bullies though. It's love and it's messy and yes this may be Peter's fault, but we have to let him fix this." Abbie huffs but takes another look at her brother. "I hope he fixes this fast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's sad??
> 
> If I were Harley though, I'd be pretty annoyed with all the lying and disappearing. I will say, this chapter hurt me to write.
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3


	22. Take a Rain Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley and Peter haven't spoken in days. What will happen when they finally do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya readers! Here's another chapter!
> 
> I almost had a meltdown this weekend because I thought I lost over half of my unpublished stories. But crisis averted, it was recovered. 
> 
> Enjoy this next chapter!

Harley didn't see Peter for three days. Didn't hear from him or even attempt to contact him in any way. And it was driving him insane. He thought that after that dance on Friday, he would hear something from the other boy the next day or even the day after, but he got nothing. Not even his friends knew anything. "All I know is he's alive and well. At least according to May." Ned says on Monday after school when they meet for coffee. "She won't let me see him though." MJ nods along and interjects when Harley suggests just going to see him anyway. "Don't even think about it, Keener. She may seem all smiles on the outside but even I wouldn't want to cross May." She takes a sip of her drink. Harley huffs in frustration. "How are you though?" She asks. Harley looks between her and Ned's concerned eyes. "Fine." He says dropping his eyes to his black coffee. "You don't sound fine, Harley." Says Ned. "Well, what am I supposed to do, Ned?" He exclaims. "He ditched me on Friday to go run off and do who the fuck knows what, which is way more important than being with me apparently. And I know I could just text him but no, I need him to prove to me that he wants to be with me." Ned and MJ share a look that Harley doesn't miss. "Wait a sec. You guys know, don't you?" He accuses. "Harley, wait-" Ned starts. "You know and you're just gonna let me suffer here?" He looks between his _friends_. "We promised Peter we wouldn't tell you." MJ says. "But we're on your side here." Ned nods. "We want him to tell you. This is something that should come from him." Harley groans and stands. "Where are you going?" Ned asks. "Some place where people don't hide things from me." He says and he storms out of the shop. 

The next day at school, Peter's back but Harley puts as much distance as he can between them. He refuses to talk to the other boy, let alone look at him. So, at the end of the day when Harley's packing his bag before heading to AcaDeca practice, he hears someone stop behind him. "Harley?" He pauses. Peter's voice is shaky but hopeful. "How are you?" "Fine." He answers. "What do you want, Parker?" Even if Harley didn't hear the sharp intake of breath from the other boy, he knows that the tone of his response stung. "I want to apologize." Says Peter. At this Harley turns to face him and what he sees floors him for a second. Peter's usually healthy pale complexion is tinged with gray. His brown eyes are slightly bloodshot and his hair is a mess, like he's been running his hand through it too much. He's also leaning a bit, like he's favoring one leg over the other. Anything accusatory that Harley wants to say promptly flies out the window at the sight. "What the fuck happened to you?" He asks, softly. "Nothing. I'm fine." Says Peter, trying to stand straighter, as if to prove he's okay. "Don't worry about me. I want to apologize... about what happened on Friday." Peter starts. "I promised you when I probably shouldn't have 'cause of all this craziness with my life and I know this doesn't fix anything, but I want to try-" "Stop." Harley says putting his hand up. It feels reminiscent of their text conversation from a while ago. "I need you to answer this one question, Peter." He pauses. "Do you want to be with me?" "Of course, I do!" Peter quickly answers. "Well, you have a fucking funny way of showing it." He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I know Harley, but please." Peter pleads. "All I want to do is make this up to you." 

"And I don't know if you can!" Harley replies. He's surprised at what he says but, as he registers what comes out of his mouth, he knows it's true. "Peter." He starts. "You're the most wonderful person I've ever met, and you've changed my life for the better, but I can't be with you if there's this big thing that comes between us." Harley looks away and he can feel his eyes burn. "I've told you everything about me. Every thought, every feeling, every shitty thing that happened to me. And I want to know everything about you but if you won't share it with me..." He trails off. Peter looks like he's been punched in the gut. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I just- I let it slide for so long, thinking I could just wait until you tell me but this _thing_ in your life is more important than me and.... I- I can't be with you if I can't even know what it is. I can't do this if you're not with me 100%." Peter doesn't say anything for a while and Harley feels the tears spill over his cheeks. He looks up when he hears a sniffle and sees Peter's brown eyes shedding tears too. "I- I want to tell you, Harley. I really do." He says voice cracking. "I just- I can't. I know you'll just be in more danger if I do. I'm afraid that I won't be able to keep you safe." _Danger?_ "You're the brightest spot in my life and I don't want to dampen it by having you get hurt because of me." "Peter, what the fuck are you talking about?" Harley asks but Peter's backing away now. "It's- Just- It's nothing." Peter's turning away and hiding his face now. "Can you tell MJ that I'm not coming to practice? I'll just- uh- I need- I need to go. I'm so sorry." "Peter, wait!" Harley calls but it's no use. Peter's already gone. Harley crumbles to the floor like he did at prom but now, there's more to mourn. MJ and Ned find him later, tears spilling freely and legs pulled close to his chest.

The next few days pass by in a blur. Tony and Pepper try to break through the walls that Harley puts up but to no avail. Abbie is shut out from him too. Even May is struggling with a silent Peter and it hurts everyone around them. Ned and MJ are stuck in the middle trying to get either side to see reason, but Harley is too stubborn and has been hurt too much to try reaching out and Peter is too self-sacrificing and anxiety-ridden to do anything. 

_* **guyinchair** started a chat with **fuckoff** *_  
_* **guyinchair** added **pbandslay** to the chat*_  
**guyinchair:** peter  
**guyinchair:** please reconsider this  
**guyinchair:** ur both miserable  
**fuckoff:** cmon parker get ur head on straight  
**pbandslay:** hes better off without me  
**pbandslay:** i don’t wanna put him in any more danger  
**pbandslay:** besides he’ll get over me quick  
**fuckoff:** that aint true and u kno it  
**guyinchair:** yeah u guys are soulmates  
**fuckoff:** theres no getting over each other  
**fuckoff:** u just gotta get ur head outta ur ass and fix this  
**pbandslay:** u guys just don’t get it do u  
**pbandslay:** ur all in so much danger just cause u kno who I am  
**pbandslay:** if any of the bad guys knew that u kno who I am, u could be targeted  
**pbandslay:** hes already been targeted for knoing mr. stark  
**pbandslay:** I don’t need to add to that  
_* **pbandslay** has left the chat*_  
**guyinchair:** shud we try the other one?  
**fuckoff:** I did. Same issue, different kid.

A week after this whole fiasco, their art class was set to go to the MoMA for a field trip. “C’mon Harley. Up and at ‘em.” Pepper says, pulling the curtains open. “Ugh. Pep, why?” Harley throws a pillow over his head to block out the light. “It’s field trip day!” Harley groans. “It’s just the MoMA.” He says. “I’ve already been there.” He doesn’t mention that he went with Peter. It’s still painful to think about him. “I know you have but maybe doing something other than schoolwork can help cheer you up.” _I don’t know how much cheering up I can get when my heart is crushed to pieces._ He thinks but he gets up anyway. He meets MJ in front of the school. “Hey, loser.” She says. He’s grateful for her standard greeting. He doesn’t think he can handle Ned’s concerned looks anymore. Knowing that they've hidden something from him still hurts but they're his closest friends and, though he's still wary, he forgives them. They chat amiably for a while as they wait for the bus.

When they board, he finds himself looking for a certain wavy-haired brunette. _He loves that museum. He should be here._ He catches sight of him and sucks in a breath. It still hurts. Whether the other boy knows he’s looking is a mystery, but Peter sits behind Ned and Betty, opting to take up his own two-seater. The group is still sitting close together but Harley and Peter don’t even acknowledge each other. During the ride, MJ tries to distract him with their usual banter, but he finds his gaze drifting back towards Peter. It’s when he’s looking at him that he notices when Peter’s head flicks up. There’s a scared look in his eye as he turns to look out the window. “Peter?" Harley asks. "Peter, what is it?" He locks eyes with Harley. "Something's wrong." He turns to his best friend. "Ned? Dude, I need a distraction." Ned turns, sees the flying ring spaceship in the sky and promptly freaks out, garnering everyone's attention. Well, everyone except Harley, MJ and Betty. 

Peter rummages through his backpack and slaps something onto his wrist. Harley thinks it looks very familiar. "Peter? What the hell are you doing with that?" The boy looks apologetically at Harley and pulls what looks like a red cloth out of his bag before webbing the emergency exit window. "I'm sorry I never told you, Harley." That's all he says that's before jumping out the window. "Peter!" Harley screams as the boy swings away. MJ is sitting patiently next to him, waiting for his reaction. For his part, Harley is stunned but not freaking out. On the outside at least. _Peter is Spider-Man?!_ Betty is handling this as best as she can but, even she is speechless. Harley sits back in his seat and MJ touches his shoulder. "Peter's Spider-Man." He says and she nods. "Why the fuck didn't he just tell me?" "He didn't want you to become a bigger target." She answers and Harley scoffs. "What the fuck does that mean?!" MJ puts a firm hand on his shoulder. "It means that because you're Tony Stark's son, you've got a huge fucking target on your back and you got fucking kidnapped because of it. He didn't want to make it bigger with you knowing his secret identity." She explains. "It makes sense." Betty says, speaking quietly over the hullabaloo of the bus. "How the fuck does any of this make sense?!" Harley is still reeling. "I mean," She says with a small frown. "I mean, it make sense that Peter is Spider-Man and I get why he didn't tell you." Harley is having a hard time understanding her. "I'm sorry I don't think I get why. He could have told me months ago. In fact, he should have told me months ago!" Betty simply shakes her head. "Think about who Peter is, Harley. He's got the biggest heart and guilt complex I've ever seen. You said the whole kidnapping thing kinda jumpstarted your relationship, right?" A nod. "Well, how would you feel if you saw someone you cared about hurt like that?" Harley deflates a little. "I just- I just wish he trusted me enough to tell me." He says meeting MJ's eyes. The girl doesn't know what to say to that. "Whoa, guys! Did you see that spaceship?!" Ned says returning to his friends. He catches the dejected look on Harley's face and says, "Figured it out, didn't you?" A nod. "Sorry, Harley."

A few minutes later, the bus stops in front of the museum and everyone is let off. After hearing the bus driver mumble something about 'dumb kids never seeing a spaceship,' Harley's phone rings. "It's Peter!" He scrambles to answer it. "Peter? Where the fuck are you?!" Harley looks up to see the flying donut start to leave the atmosphere. "Harley! I'm sorry I never told you! I just didn't want you to get hurt or something." His voice is frantic, and Harley can feel his eyes burn. "You probably hate me by now." "No, Peter, I could never hate you!" He reassures. "I'm kinda mad but we can figure this shit out when you get your ass back here! So just- just come back now please!" A sigh. "Looks like I might have to take a rain check on that, babe." Harley sucks in a breath. "What do you mean, Parker? Don't tell me that you're on that fucking donut!" "I'm sorry for all of this!" The phone call is breaking up. "Peter!?" "Ju- know th- I lo- -u." "What? Peter?! I don't know what you're saying!" The call cuts short but Harley keeps yelling into the phone. 

Harley crumbles to the ground, not realizing that he walked around to the side of the building. His friends followed him and now MJ is crouching next to him. He clings to her arm, hot tears sliding down his cheeks. "He was on the spaceship, wasn't he?" Ned says and Betty holds his hand. The only answer Harley gives is a heart-wrenching sob. The small group of friends silently grieve outside the museum. Even MJ's usually stoic face cracks and a stray tear falls. "We have to call Pepper." She says, and she pulls out her own phone to dial the CEO. 

"Pepper?" Harley hears MJ talk to his mom with a shaky voice. "Harley? She wants to talk to you." MJ hands him the phone and he sits up and cradles it to his ear. "Pep?" He sobs. "Pep? Mom, he's gone." Harley using the word for the first-time breaks Pepper's heart even more. "I know, sweetie. Your friend told me." She sniffles and Harley sucks in a breath. "Wait, where's dad?!" She sobs and that's all Harley needs to know where he is. "Sweetie, I'm sending Happy to pick you and your sister up, okay? I'll see you in a bit." Harley whimpers at her wobbly voice. "They'll be okay, sweetie. They have to be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So identity reveal?????
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3
> 
> BTW I was really bummed this weekend. Aside from the whole almost losing my work thing, I was reminded how crazy this pandemic is. So please everyone stay safe, stay happy, stay healthy. <3


	23. The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley and Abbie end up in the compound and Thanos is on the rise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's the penultimate chapter! (really big word for a Monday morning....)
> 
> Honestly, this is one of the few things keeping me sane during this crazy pandemic. So thanks for all the reads and comments. Y'all are great!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Happy arrives soon after the phone call to take Harley to the Tower. When the door to the car opens, a teary Abbie runs out and hugs Harley. "Harley, I don't know what's happening." She cries. "Mom just called me crying and she wouldn't tell me why and she sent Happy to pick us up but there's was a spaceship in the sky and I don't know what's happening!" Harley hugs his sister tight and leads her back to the car without a word. His friends call after him to keep them up to date and he nods through his tears. His words are stuck in his throat and he can't force them out of his mouth. His own tears are streaming down his face and he struggles not to crumble this time. _I have to be strong for her. She needs me._ He thinks. Abbie hasn't noticed his tears yet, but when they reach the Tower, she sees them. "Harley?" She asks. "Why are you crying?" His lip trembles but he doesn't break until they reach the penthouse and see Pepper. She's on a call with Rhodey, who's looking frustrated but trying to comfort her. "I've got a meeting with Ross in 5 minutes but, I'll keep you posted until you get here, okay?" She nods. "He'll be okay, Pep. Be strong. He's Tony." She smiles despite the tears. "I know. Stay safe, Rhodey." "You too, Pep." She hangs up and turns to see both of her kids distraught and sitting on the floor against the elevator doors.

Pepper wipes her own tears and goes to them. "C'mon, Harley, Abbie." She says quietly, gently helping them to stand. "We've gotta go to the Avengers Compound." Abbie gets up but Harley hasn't moved. "He should have told me." He mumbles. "He should have told me and now he's... who knows where the fuck he is." Pepper sinks down and holds his hand. "Wherever he is, he's with Tony okay? They're together and that's all that matters right now. But we have to go. We're meeting Rhodey up at the Compound." Any other time, Harley would be ecstatic just knowing that he could go. But with Peter and Tony missing, that feeling is buried deep, under the emptiness and longing.

On the ride up, Pepper explains the situation to Abbie who starts crying all over again after hearing that her dad and Peter are missing. She clings to her brother who's trying to comfort himself as much as her. When they arrive, the quinjet is on the front lawn and a group of people are starting to board. Rhodey sees their car pull in and rushes to meet them. Harley recognizes the rest of the people and bolts out of the car before it comes to a complete stop to charge at them. "YOU MOTHER FUCKING ASSHOLE!" He yells running across the lawn straight at Cap. He ignores Rhodey's and Pepper's calls for him to stop. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, TRAITOR?!" Steve has just enough time to catch Harley's arms before they hit him. "Whoa, kid. Who are you?" Harley rips his arms out of Steve's hands. "Do you have any idea how much damage you caused to save your precious boyfriend?" Harley continues. "Do you know what it took to save him from what you did?!" Rhodey, Pepper and Abbie jog behind him. "I don't even know who you are, kid, so step aside. We have to go. This doesn't concern you." Cap side-steps around Harley while Rhodey steps up to pull him back but his hand is shoved off. "This does concern me, you all-American shithead! Does it fucking matter who I am? Do you even know how long it took for him to even get medical help after you left him in the middle of a Siberian blizzard!?" He screams. "Harley." Rhodey calls. "He had nightmares because of you! Panic attacks, anxiety, you name it. FRIDAY called me so many fucking times to calm him down!" The rest of the ex-avengers stare at the him. Agent Romanoff stands off to the side with her arms crossed. "You're his kid." She says matter-of-factly. He turns his glare onto her. "Yeah, I fucking am. And now he's hundreds if not thousands of miles away from where he should be right now and this all could have been avoided if you didn't just say 'fuck you' to 117 countries! He could have been here with all of us planning and strategizing instead of wherever the fuck he is right now! He warned you all about this shit! And now Peter's with him too! Spider-Man and Iron Man aren't even in our orbit anymore! This is your fucking fault!" Harley didn't mean to reveal Spider-Man's identity but he's too angry to care at the moment. He's breathing heavily and about to go on another rant when Vision cuts him off. "Mr. Keener, please." He says. He's leaning on Wanda and Sam for support. "Viz-" He says breathlessly, ignoring Wanda's questioning gaze. "What happened to you?." The android shook his head. "Nothing, I'm alright. But while I understand there is animosity here, we must move quickly. There is a larger threat to consider. A global- no a universal threat seeks to take this stone from me." He gestures to the Mind Stone. "If we don't leave now, we may not have enough time to ready our defenses." Harley's shoulders sink and Rhodey steps in front to face him. "We have a plan and if all goes well, we can bring Tony and Peter back, okay? But we gotta deal with this shit first." Harley's anger is set in his eyes but he relaxes. "I want access to the comms and visual feeds. Got that FRI?" "Affirmative, Mr. Keener." FRIDAY says before anyone has a chance to stop her. "Now," Harley starts, eyes hard and voice demanding, "all of you better work your fucking asses off to fix this and get my dad and boyfriend back, got it?" Nods all around.

\---

"Alright, Fri, what's going on?" Harley's sitting in the living room with Abbie and Pepper. In front of them are screens with feeds from every Avenger (or Ex-Avenger) in Wakanda. "Princess Shuri is working to remove the Mind Stone from Vision with some of the Dora Milaje and the witch as protectors. The rest of them are out in the fray." Harley watches as the outriders shove themselves through the small opening in Wakanda's force field. "That barrier isn't gonna hold for much longer." "They're taking it down!" Fri exclaims and then the battle truly begins. Harley, Abbie and Pepper watch as the heroes fight and break down alien after alien. Pepper tried to shoo Abbie off to her room but she was adamant about not leaving her brother. Harley is calling out patterns to the others through Rhodey's and Sam's feeds. "Rhodey, if you swoop lower you can rain fire down on them. On your six, Wilson. You've got a bogey." He's also trying to assist Shuri with her task. "You know, you are not that bad for a colonizer." She smirks and it reminds him of MJ. "Well excuse me, Princess, but we should cut the banter and keep working. We've got a long way to go." She nods and they get right back to work. The battle rages on and there's red mist flowing out of Wanda's hands. "I cannot just sit here when I can help." she says. Harley groans. "Fine! But hurry back." He spits and she goes, leaving the two geniuses and the android, and giving Vision a sympathetic look. "Harley, I need you to consider something." Vision says and from his tone, Harley can guess what he wants. "No." "If this doesn't work..." "This is going to work, Vision." "If this doesn't work," He persists. "I have calculated that the only way to stop Thanos from getting this stone is to destroy it." Harley pauses. "What are you saying, Viz?" The android's eyes zero in on the camera and it looks like he's staring into Harley's soul. "I'm saying that Thanos should never get this stone. Not even for my sake." "Viz, we can't do that." Harley says, tears gathering again. "We may not have the choice."

Unfortunately, it is at that moment that one of Thanos' children bursts through the lab, forcing Shuri to cut the connection. "Vision! Shuri!" Harley screams. Abbie's clutching onto Pepper as Rhodey calls, "Hey! What's happening?" Harley shakes his head and begins typing furiously on his Stark tablet. "I've lost contact with Vision and Shuri." He says, then he hears a thundering sound. "What's going on with you?" "Looks like Thor and a couple of friends showed up." Rhodey's feed turns to see the Asgardian wielding a large axe crackling with lightning standing between a small rodent ("Is that a raccoon?" asks Abbie) and what looks like a short _ent_ from Lord of the Rings. _BRING ME THANOS!!_ comes Thor's war cry through the speakers. The battle seems to be going in the Avengers' favor now that Thor has joined their ranks. Harley's hope for victory rises again and he pushes the dread about Vision and Shuri to the back burner. 

No matter how hard they push themselves, however, Thanos, his children, or what's left of them, and the outriders find a way to turn the tables again. Harley's feeling of victory dies out and then Vision's comm comes back online. "Wanda, it's time." He says. "No." She says. Harley freezes. "What do you mean, Viz?" He asks frantically. "No one can stop him and Wanda has the power to destroy the stone." "Vision, no!" Harley says as Wanda pleads with him. He can hear the others asking for Vision now. "I don't want to do this. I can't do this!" She cries. "You can and you will. If Thanos gets the stone, then half the universe dies." He says. "We are out of time. It'll be alright. You can't hurt me. I'll just feel you." Harley watches as Vision's visual feed comes back online and he sees Wanda stand back with tears in her eyes. He feels like he's intruding on a private moment but he can't look away as her red magic swirls out of her palms. He can hear Vision's choked screams of agony and the anguish on Wanda's face as she destroys him. "It's alright. I love you." Soon, the feed cuts and a deafening boom sounds. 

The silence that follows is heavy. Abbie is sobbing into Pepper's shirt and Harley can't even look away from the blank screen. Then, Scarlet Witch's comm is back online. Harley hears Thanos for the first time between Wanda's ragged breaths. "Today, I lost more than you can know. But now is no time to mourn." His voice is deep and menacing. "Now is no time at all." A few seconds later, she screams and the line is dead. In fact, most of the comms are off and Harley's tearing his hair out not knowing what's going on. "Get them back FRIDAY!" He yells. "I'm trying, but it seems that the glove is running a form of interference." Harley's typing away on a tablet, struggling to find something to get him back to Wakanda when it happens. "Abbie?" Pepper says. Harley turns and sees dust particles surrounding his sister. "Harley?!" He runs to his sister, trying and failing to hold on to the slowly disappearing pieces of her. And then she's gone, leaving a pile of ash on the couch next to Pepper.

\---

Pepper's voice sounds like it's coming through a tunnel as she talks to Rhodey. Harley shut down, looking at the pile of ash next to him, the remains of his sister. He's numb. He can't feel or hear or sense anything. Not the rumble of thunder in the sky, not Pepper's arm around his shoulders or her tears soaking his shirt. He doesn't move from his spot, even when Pepper tries to move him herself. He doesn't move or acknowledge the Avengers returning from Wakanda, their numbers cut in half. Doesn't move when Rhodey moves into his field of vision, gently shaking him to try to get him to stand up. 

It's not until hours later when he finally turns his head to see Bruce Banner making some tea for Rhodey and Pepper. "She's gone." Comes his hoarse whisper. The three adults turn their heads to see Harley stand, staggering for balance. "Mom, she's gone." Pepper rushes over to catch her son as he crashes into her, sobs tearing through him. The two end up kneeling on the floor when Rhodey approaches to sit next to them. It's a long while before Harley's cries die down. Cap and Romanoff poked their heads in at one point but backed away to give the broken family some privacy. "Abbie's gone. Dad and Peter are missing." Harley sniffles. "What if they're gone too?" He peers up at Pepper. "What happens then?" Pepper shushes him. "Stop. You can't think like that. They're not gone. They're just lost." She kisses his forehead and holds him tight. "But how can you know?" Pepepr sighs. "I don't but if I believe he's coming back, then I'll be able to keep moving, keep living." Rhodey pats his back. "We won't stop trying to bring them back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides in a bush somewhere* I'm sorry for the sadness!
> 
> I really tried to keep the story the same, mostly for my sake because I thought trying to rewrite whole relationships and events (specifically the battle) would detract from my story. Of course, I'll be taking liberties with the next movie but that's another story for another day.
> 
> Feel free to yell at me in the comments and let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3
> 
> Also, please stay happy, healthy and safe!


	24. Sliver of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Snap changed everything. Harley and Pepper cling to each other as the rest of the Avengers work to bring Tony and Peter back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Another Monday Update!
> 
> I've been sitting on this ending for at least a month and a half so I'm glad that I can get it out there.
> 
> Aside from that... Enjoy the chapter!

After a few days of discovering who's left after the Snap, Steve and Natasha find Fury's pager. "He never left anywhere without it." Natasha says. "We almost abandoned missions for this thing." Rocket examines the pager, and with Bruce's, Rhodey's and Harley's help, amplfies the signal and tries to keep the battery running. "And now we wait." says Rocket. Harley goes back to Pepper, who's been getting sick so much lately. He finds her in the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet. "Mom, are you okay?" He says rushing towards her. "I- I think so." But before she can get up, she's crouching over the bowl again. Harley swiftly holds her hair and rubs her back. "Maybe we should get Bruce to give you a check-up." He offers, handing her a tissue. "No, I'll be fine." She replies. "I think I'm just stressed out. And I want all hands on deck to bring Tony and Peter back." She demands. "Okay, but once we do, you go to Bruce okay?" She nods and he helps her to the bedroom.

It's not Tony and Pepper's room that they're in. They've taken to sleeping in the same bed in a spare room in the Compound, Pepper not wanting to sleep in that room without him. She tried once and Harley had to wake her from her nightmare. "You know, I'm so used to him working in the lab for hours and hours and only coming to bed at around 3 or 4 in the morning." She admits one day during their sleeping arrangement. "You'd think I'd be used to not having someone in the bed with me." Harley doesn't say a word. He struggled to sleep alone too. The loss of Abbie was killing him inside. He was supposed to protect her. Not to mention the unknown whereabouts of Peter. "That day he was telling me about a dream he had about us, Harles." Both of them are laying on their backs, staring at the ceiling. The only comfort they have from each other is their clasped hands. "He had a dream that after we were married, we had a kid." Harley turns to look at her, face bright with the moonlight pouring through the window, and sees a tear fall. "He was so excited about it. He was gonna name him or her after my uncle. Our little Morgan. I never thought he would want one but I think you and Ab- your sister changed his mind." Harley faces her, laying on his side. "Abbie would've been so happy to have a little brother or sister." He says, getting choked up now. "They would have been so smart. Peter and I...," His voice cracks on his name. "We would babysit and take 'em to Central Park and Abbie..." He sniffles, tears falling again. "Abbie would be the best big sister any kid could ask for."

\---

Since the snap, the Avengers were in charge of relief efforts around the globe. The sudden disappearance of half of the world's population caused massive unrest, damage and panic to countries all over and the now the remaining leaders were looking to what was left of the Avengers for help and guidance. Those who could, travelled to places that needed the most help to conduct search and rescue procedures. Pepper pushed most of Stark Industries resources towards sheltering those who lost everything, with Happy guiding them to the Tower in New York. She also pushed resources to conduct a census to help families who may have been separated find some semblance of comfort. Rhodey and Harley focused on writing and pushing a software update to every SI location that would keep that building's power sustained. "It's what Dad would have done." Harley said when he suggested it to Rhodey. Even Rocket offered to help with his expertise. They worked tirelessly to ensure that there was a place people could go to feel safe and every building around the world soon became a relief center. Stark Industries really became a beacon of hope.

Carol Danvers crashed into their lives two weeks after half the world disappeared. She flew into the compound, deflecting every security measure until she came upon it's inhabitants. She walked around like she owned the place, demanding to know where Fury was. Most of the Avengers had their weapons at the ready, aimed at her glowing form when someone recognized her. "Holy shit, hold on, stand down, boys. I know who she is." Rocket says, lowering his gun and walking towards her. "I've heard of you before, while I was on Xandar. An ex-Kree soldier flying around with Skrulls." He says when he gets closer. "Coulda used you here, blondie." "Who are you?" Steve asks. Rhodey lowers his repulsor and takes his helmet off. "Colonel Danvers? Carol Danvers?" He says. "Who's asking?" She fires back and Rhodey stands at attention, saluting her. "Colonel James Rhodes." She gives him a lazy salute back. "I've seen your file. You disappeared years ago. Some of my commanding officers mentioned you when I was in boot camp. Apparently, you were one damn good pilot." She smirks and Rhodey is starstruck. "Where's Fury?" She asks again. "He's been dusted." Harley says, speaking up for the first time. "The pager was near a pile of ash." Steve supplies before Carol can ask how they know. Rhodey, on the other hand, seems to still be taken by her mere presence. Harley avoids teasing him and instead approaches her, against Steve's warnings. "You can fly in space right?" He asks, wasting no time, and she nods. "There are two individuals from earth who went up in a ship to Thanos." He pauses, swallowing thickly. "We don't know where that ship was going but we need you to find it, find them, and bring them back to earth." Harley urges. "They have to come back." Carol looks unfazed, then her expression turns serious. "If Thanos succeeded, and it looks like he did, then you have to be prepared if that ship is empty." Harley doesn't shrink under her gaze. "It won't be empty. They're coming home."

\---

The waiting game was brutal. Harley tried to keep busy so he didn't spend too much time thinking about _them._ Between taking care of Pepper, helping Rhodey and Rocket with technical support in SI, and assisting Natasha and Steve coordinate relief efforts, Harley worked himself ragged. He only slept when he was dead tired and usually passed out wherever he was, leaving Rhodey to cajole him onto the couch in the lab or a comfier chair. A week after Captain Marvel left and about 22 days after the snap, Rhodey, Harley and Pepper are in the spare bedroom trying to pass the time. "A ship has entered the upper atmosphere." FRIDAY says. The three of them stop moving from where they are sitting on the bed (Neither Harley, Pepper, nor Rhodey had been able to sleep properly since Carol gave them this bit of hope). Even the rest of the compound is awake, despite it being the middle of the night. "Is it Danvers? Did she find them?" Rhodey asks. "Satellite readings detect a radiation signature that is similar to Colonel Danvers'." Harley and Pepper look to each other. "They're back." 

The compound inhabitants run outside to see a glowing Carol slowly lowering a spaceship. Harley and Pepper are out there first and hold each other's hands tightly with Rhodey, Steve, Nat, and Bruce not far behind them. No one notices the somber look on Carol's face as she steps back from the ship. The door opens and two figures step out, both are slim and moving slowly but one of them is blue. The blue one is shouldering the weight of the other one as they shamble out of the ship. Harley keeps staring into the dark ship, waiting for another figure to exit. About halfway down the ramp, Steve and Pepper shoot forward realizing who it is. Steve gets there first, taking Tony from the blue woman and supporting his (too little) weight. "I couldn't stop him." He whispers to Steve. "Neither could I." A pause and a ragged breath. "I lost the kid." Tony adds. There's a moment of despair in Steve's eyes, then sadness and empathy. Then Pepper's there, holding his face and kissing his gaunt cheeks. "Oh my god. You're here. You're alive." She's whispering. He steps away from Cap to hug her properly. "I'm here." He closes his eyes and inhales her scent, kissing her (real, alive) full cheeks. He knows that she's holding more of his weight but he doesn't care. He's home. 

"Where's Peter?" comes a small voice. Tony looks up and sees his son. Dark, purple bruises under his eyes, too thin, with greasy, messy hair. "Dad? Where is he?" Wide, blue eyes, shine with unshed tears. "Harley..." Tony steps away from Pepper and towards him but Harley steps back. "Holy fuck. You're alive." He says with relief. "Where's Abbie?" He looks between Pepper and Harley. Their silence and Pepper's small intake of breath says it all. "Abbie..." Tony trails off, voice sad. "Dad, he went up with you, right? Where is Peter?" The teen asks again. Tony can hear the hysterical edge to his voice see the fragile string of hope in his eyes. "Harley, I'm- I'm so, so sorry." Harley's face contorts into an expression of disbelief and sadness. "No.." He says, shaking his head and taking a step back. "No, you're lying. Where is he?!" Tony shakes his head. He can't cry anymore. His body won't let him but he feels every bit of pain and guilt written on Harley's face. "I wish I were, Harles." 

Harley crumbles to the ground, chest heaving as he gasps for breath and sobbing loudly. He's shaking and he hears someone screaming (later, he'll realize they came from him). "No, no, no, no!" There are tears flowing down his cheeks. "He has to come back!" He screams. A blur that Harley realizes is Rhodey kneels in front of him. "Harley?" His voice sounds far away. "C'mon, Harley, you have to breathe." He reaches out but the teen shoves the hand away. Harley stands abruptly, avoiding the pitying looks from the rest of the group. "Harley, I'm sorry." Tony says again but it falls on unhearing ears. The teen is backing away from them and shaking off Rhodey's attempts to stop him. Then he takes off running. He runs as far away from the ship as he can. _Maybe if he runs far enough, it won't be real._ He runs until he can't hear the calls of his name. He runs until the wind in his face blows the tears away. He runs until only his racing heartbeat and gasps for breath sound in his hears. He runs until his feet and legs go numb from pounding the ground after so many days of staying idle. He runs until he can't anymore and he collapses to his knees, screaming at the air, still crying, still gasping, still _hurting._ He curls into a ball on the ground, wrapping his arms around his torso, holding himself together, hoping somehow this was all a dream. 

\---

Harley wakes up hours later, calling for Peter and Abbie. He briefly wonders how he got to a room in the Compound when he distinctly remembers being outside. Then he remembers why he was outside. He remembers what happened outside and it feels like his heart has been ripped out and all that's left is a jagged hole, bleeding and refusing to close. He sucks in a breath, but it doesn't even feel like he's getting any more oxygen. He's gasping and hyperventilating like this when Rhodey walks in. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, kid?" He rushes to the bed, sitting on the edge. "C'mon, Harley. You gotta breathe." He sobs and shakes and curls in on himself, trying to make himself smaller. Rhodey rubs circles on his back to calm him down. "A little better now?" He asks and Harley nods his head. When he does, Rhodey starts speaking in a low voice. "You know, that blue chick that came back with Tony?" Harley flinches. _That was supposed to be Peter._ Rhodey looks sad but he continues. "She says she knows where Thanos is." Harley doesn't even move. "Well, we're gonna find that son of a bitch and reverse all of this." He says it with such conviction that Harley believes him, but he can't bring himself to do anything more than turn his head to meet his gaze. "Bring him back." He says quietly. With a firm, determined nod, Rhodey leaves, taking Harley's sliver of hope with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really sad while writing this...
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> -PA<3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone who stuck it out and made it to the end! Idk about all of you but it was a roller coaster for me and I'm glad I put this out there...
> 
> There's more to come soon! 
> 
> Thanks again for reading it all! <3
> 
> -PA<3


End file.
